A van der Waals metal thiophosphate ferromagnetic semiconductor AgVP₂Se₆

The recent realization of two-dimensional (2D) magnetism in van der Waals (vdWs) magnets holds the promise for the low-power spintronic applications. The 2D semiconducting ferromagnets, which remain rare, are special important in developing 2D magnetic devices with new functionalities. Metal thiophosphate (MTP), a multifunctional 2D material system that combines the sought-after properties of complex oxides, is a promising 2D magnet system. Here, we successfully synthesize single crystals of a novel 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor MTP AgVP₂Se₆ with a bandgap of 2.14 eV at room temperature. Due to the nature of vdWs bonding along the c axis, the magnetic properties of the few-layer AgVP₂Se₆ with different thicknesses are characterized on the exfoliated samples. The AgVP₂Se₆ flakes exhibit significant thickness-dependent magnetic properties, and a rectangular hysteresis loop with a large coercive field of 750 Oe at 2 K and an undiminished Curie temperature of 19 K are observed in the 6.7 nm AgVP₂Se₆ flake. The discovered 2D hard ferromagnet AgVP₂Se₆ with semiconducting behavior will provide alternative platforms for exploring 2D magnetism and potential applications in spintronic devices.