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arXiv · 1603.04463

Magnetic properties of restacked 2D spin $\frac{1}{2}$ honeycomb RuCl$_3$ nanosheets

Daniel Weber·Leslie M. Schoop·Viola Duppel·Judith M. Lippmann·Jürgen Nuss·Bettina V. Lotsch
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Abstract

Spin $\frac{1}{2}$ honeycomb materials have gained substantial interest due to their exotic magnetism and possible application in quantum computing. However, in all current materials out-of-plane interactions are interfering with the in-plane order, hence a true 2D magnetic honeycomb system is still of demand. Here, we report the exfoliation of the magnetic semiconductor $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ into the first halide monolayers and the magnetic characterization of the spin $\frac{1}{2}$ honeycomb arrangement of turbostratically stacked RuCl$_3$ monolayers. The exfoliation is based on a reductive lithiation/hydration approach, which gives rise to a loss of cooperative magnetism due to the disruption of the spin $\frac{1}{2}$ state by electron injection into the layers. After an oxidative treatment, cooperative magnetism similar to the bulk is restored. The oxidized pellets of restacked single layers feature a magnetic transition at T$_N$ = 7 K in the in-plane direction, while the magnetic properties in the out-of-plane direction vastly differ from bulk $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$. The macroscopic pellets of RuCl$_3$ therefore behave like a stack of monolayers without any symmetry relation in the stacking direction. The deliberate introduction of turbostratic disorder to manipulate the spin structure of RuCl$_3$ is of interest for research in frustrated magnetism and complex magnetic order as predicted by the Kitaev-Heisenberg model.

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Daniel Weber, Leslie M. Schoop, Viola Duppel, Judith M. Lippmann, Jürgen Nuss, Bettina V. Lotsch. 2016-03-14. Magnetic properties of restacked 2D spin $\frac{1}{2}$ honeycomb RuCl$_3$ nanosheets. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00701

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