Transition Metal Dihalides as Novel 2-D Magnets and Attempts to Synthesize a Magnetic Dirac Semi-Metal

Abstract

The further development of spintronic devices, which hold the potential to revolutionize various industries, relies on expanding the family of two-dimensional magnetically ordered materials. Currently absent from this family are helimagnetic materials and Dirac semi-metals. In the work presented here, I synthesized and exfoliated pure phase crystals of MnI2 and MnCl2, both theorized to be helimagnets down to the monolayer, showing the potential of both MnI2 and MnCl2 as 2-D helimagnets. Additionally, I observed the change in magnetic properties of MnI2 after the incorporation of chromium and identified this material as a possible frustrated magnet. In attempts to simulate MnCl3, a theorized Dirac semi-metal, I explored the incorporation of iron into CrCl3 and the incorporation of ruthenium into MoCl3 and concluded that incorporation is not achievable through the traditional solid-state method syntheses explored. Finally, in attempts to simulate another theorized Dirac semi-metal, MnI3, I investigated incorporation of manganese into CrI3 through traditional solid-state methods and observed that such syntheses did not result in incorporation. My work indicates that future studies on MnI2 and MnCl2 could lead to the production of the first true 2-D helimagnet.