Tuning magnetocaloric effect of monolayer via flexomagnetism

Q Qihua Gong (State Key Lab of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures and College of Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) 1 , Nanjing 210016,) W Weiwei He (Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design) Z Ziming Tang (State Key Lab of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Lab for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, College of Aerospace Engineering, and Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) 2 , Nanjing 210016,) Y Yan Yin (Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center) M Min Yi

Abstract

Flexomagnetism, a coupling between strain gradient and magnetization, offers an alternative pathway to tune the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) by leveraging huge strain gradients in monolayers. Herein, we demonstrate that shear-strain gradient can modulate the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction in monolayer CrN and then influence the external magnetic field-induced magnetization reversal process characterized by topological magnetic textures, ultimately enabling tuning of the MCE. It is found that strain gradient can increase the isothermal magnetic entropy change (ΔSM) and adiabatic temperature change (ΔTad) of monolayer CrN. A shear-strain gradient of 3 × 107/m was seen to effectively tune ΔSM at low temperatures due to the entropic contribution associated with the topological-to-ferromagnetic magnetic phase transition. Our results suggest a new route to tailor the MCE of monolayers via strain gradients by exploiting flexomagnetism.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 127, Issue 23
Published December 08, 2025
ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Applied Physics Letters

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0003-6951 Physical Sciences

Authors (5)

Q

Qihua Gong

State Key Lab of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures and College of Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) 1 , Nanjing 210016,

W

Weiwei He

Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design

Z

Ziming Tang

State Key Lab of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Lab for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, College of Aerospace Engineering, and Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) 2 , Nanjing 210016,

Y

Yan Yin

Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

M

Min Yi