2D Antiferromagnet MnPS₃ Induced Magneto-transport in Pt Film

2D antiferromagnets such as MnPS₃ and FePS₃, relatively new members in the van der Waals material family, offer interesting physical properties that are of interest to the nanomagnetism and spintronics community. Probing these materials through electrical transport is difficult owing to their insulating nature at low temperatures. Here we have carried out magneto-transport measurements on exfoliated flakes of MnPS₃ (< 10 nm) in heterostructures formed with thin Pt (3 nm). The MnPS₃/Pt devices are about 4 µm x 8 µm in lateral dimensions and the Pt Hall pattern is defined by electron beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma etching. We observe both nonlinear Hall voltages and high-field negative magnetoresistance(MR) of Pt at low temperatures, indicative of the acquired nature due to the presence of MnPS3 since standalone Pt shows linear Hall responses and positive MR at the same temperatures. These effects become progressively weaker and persist up to 100 K. Additionally, the low-field Hall voltage shows a sign change at ~ 55 K. The observed magneto-transport features may contain both proximity-induced phenomenon as well as other extrinsic effects at the MnPS₃ and Pt interface. Further experiments are underway to separate the extrinsic from the proximity-induced effects.