spin dynamics under the octahedral crystal field in van der Waals antiferromagnets
Phys. Rev. B 113, 094441 – Published 20 March, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/t7pz-yvz6
Abstract
The magnetic moment in van der Waals (vdW) materials containing transition metals originates from unpaired -electron spins and their interaction with surrounding ligands. The interplay between exchange interactions and magnetic anisotropy stabilizes long-range ordering of such moments. The compound (CCPS) presents an interesting class of vdW solids where the coupling of moments and ordering of ions give rise to a multiferroic ground state. Here we investigate the spin dynamics of ions in CCPS through magnetization and broadband as well as single sub-THz magnetic resonance measurements. The orbital moment of is quenched under the octahedral crystal field of surrounding chalcogen ions, resulting in negligible magnetic anisotropy—a feature common to Cr-based vdW antiferromagnets (AFM). Resonance spectra over a wide frequency-field-temperature range reveal quasi-2D AFM dynamics governed mainly by isotropic Cr-Cr exchange interactions, which determine the magnetic order, spin reorientation, and damping. Sub-THz resonance spectra also uncover a field-induced ferromagnetic polarization, highlighting the universal role of Cr-Cr exchange in layered Cr compounds. Moreover, persistent magnetic correlations far above the Néel temperature () points to a short-range magnetic order in CCPS and motivate future studies of a possible interplay between AFM and antiferroelectric orders. These results establish CCPS as an exemplary system for exploring 2D magnetism and electric-field-tunable spintronic functionalities in layered multiferroics.