Ferromagnetism in ultrathin VS2 nanosheets

Two-dimensional nanosheet crystals have potential applications in nano-electronic devices. Prompted by the recently observed ferromagnetism in pristine VX2 (X = S and Se) monolayers by first-principle calculations, we provide the experimental evidence for room temperature ferromagnetism in ultrathin VS2 nanosheets by observing their clear hysteresis and ferromagnetic resonance. The first-principle calculation results indicate that unusual hybridization of the V 3d and S 3p orbitals occurs in the monolayer VS2, and the relative transfer of electrons between the V and S atoms plays an important role in the transition of the spin moments. According to the previous work, the stable ferromagnetism in ultrathin VS2 nanosheets is considered as a competitive effect between through-bond and through-space interactions, where the through-bond interactions dominate. This finding opens a new path to explore the spintronics in pristine two-dimensional nanostructures.