Layer-dependent metamagnetic transitions in van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS4

Abstract

Understanding the magnetic transitions in van der Waals (vdW) magnets is crucial for their applications in future spintronic devices. While several vdW magnets such as CrI3 and MnBi2Te4 have been extensively studied, the spin reorientation process in CrPS4 under a magnetic field remains unclear. We report here the magnetic transitions of multilayer CrPS4 under both in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields as revealed by tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) measurements. Theoretical calculations based on a linear-chain model combined with experimental data reveal a layer-dependent spin reorientation process. Accompanying the spin reorientation, anomalous kinks appear in the TMR curves, which could be attributed to the spin geometric phase induced interference effect. Our results shed critical light on the magnetic transitions of antiferromagnetic vdW materials, thereby advancing our mechanistic understanding of their behavior.