Reviews of Modern Physics· 2026Q1
Colloquium: A critique on van der Waals and two-dimensional magnets
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Despite a decade of research, the novelty and full potential of 2D magnets remain debated, with questions about their realization of 2D spin models and fresh perspectives on statistical physics predictions.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- The novelty and impact of 2D magnets, isolated a decade ago, are under critical review.
- 2D magnets are compared to traditional systems for implementing 2D spin models, with mixed results.
- Their potential to offer fresh perspectives on long-standing statistical physics predictions is still an open question.
- Unique properties include amenability to electric-field effects, mechanical deformation, and sensitivity to moirés.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Magnetic two-dimensional (2D) crystals were isolated about a decade ago, triggering a tremendous research activity worldwide. This colloquium raises a stiff question: what is really new about them? At first sight, they seem to be purer implementations of 2D spin models than traditional systems such as ultra-thin films. Yet, they partly realized their promises so far, and whether they give fresh perspectives on long-standing predictions in statistical physics is still an open question. Undoubtedly, they are uniquely amenable to electric-field effect, susceptible to mechanical deformation, and sensitive to moirés, for example. They represent interesting platforms for exploring, challenging, or simply revisiting a wide range of phenomena in condensed matter magnetism. This colloquium intends to offer a critical, yet not necessarily skeptical, overview of the field, clarifying what we believe could be unique with 2D magnets, related quasi-2D van der Waals magnets, and their heterostructures.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Reviews of Modern Physics, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsPhysics and Astronomy