Electrical switching in a magnetically intercalated transition metal dichalcogenide*

Advances in controlling the correlated behavior of transition metal dichalcogenides have opened a new frontier of many-body physics in two dimensions. A field where these materials have yet to make a deep impact is antiferromagnetic spintronics – a relatively new research direction promising technologies with fast switching times, insensitivity to magnetic perturbations, and reduced crosstalk. Here, we present measurements on the intercalated TMD Fe_1/3NbS₂ which exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering below 42K. We find that remarkably low current densities of order 10⁴ A/cm² can reorient the magnetic order, which can be detected through changes in the sample resistance, demonstrating its use as an electronically-accessible antiferromagnetic switch. Fe_1/3NbS₂ is part of a larger family of magnetically intercalated TMDs, some of which may exhibit switching at room temperature, forming a platform from which to build tunable antiferromagnetic spintronic devices.