Linear magneto-electric phase in ultrathin MnPS${}_3$ probed by optical second harmonic generation

Abstract

The transition metal thiophosphates $M$PS${}_3$ ($M$ = Mn, Fe, Ni) are a class of van der Waals stacked insulating antiferromagnets that can be exfoliated down to the ultrathin limit. MnPS${}_3$ is particularly interesting because its N$\acute{\text{e}}$el ordered state breaks both spatial-inversion and time-reversal symmetries, allowing for a linear magneto-electric phase that is rare among van der Waals materials. However, it is unknown whether this unique magnetic structure of bulk MnPS${}_3$ remains stable in the ultrathin limit. Using optical second harmonic generation rotational anisotropy, we show that long-range linear magneto-electric type N$\acute{\text{e}}$el order in MnPS${}_3$ persists down to at least 5.3 nm thickness. However an unusual mirror symmetry breaking develops in ultrathin samples on SiO${}_2$ substrates that is absent in bulk materials, which is likely related to substrate induced strain.

6 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (8)

• Magnetic 2D materials and heterostructures
• Ising-Type Magnetic Ordering in Atomically Thin FePS3
• Coupling the valley degree of freedom to antiferromagnetic order
• Magnon transport in quasi-two-dimensional van der Waals antiferromagnets
• Antiferromagnetic ordering in van der Waals two-dimensional magnetic material MnPS3 probed by Raman spectroscopy
• Magnetoelectric MnPS3 thiophosphate as a new candidate for ferrotoroidicity
• Signature of magnon Nernst effect in an antiferromagnetic insulator
• Tunneling transport of mono- and few-layers magnetic van der Waals MnPS${}_3$

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Electron spin resonance and ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy in the high-field phase of the van der Waals magnet CrCl${}_3$