research worker from the University of Washington and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered a two - dimensional magnetized material for the first time .
As reported inNature , the textile known as chromium triiodide ( CrI3 ) is extremely magnetic even when it ’s in a 2D configuration . This particular physical object is part of a class of materials call monolayers , complex body part formed by a single atomic bed . Never before has a 3D substance retained its magnetized properties once reverse into a 2D layer .
" What we have get a line here is an isolated 2D material with intrinsic magnetism , and the magnetics in the system of rules is highly robust , " Professor Xiaodong Xu , from the University of Washington , tell in astatement . " We envision that young information technologies may emerge establish on these Modern 2D magnets . "
Bulky magnetized materials are call ferromagnetic . Their magnetic attraction is derived from the coalition of electron in the material . If you suppose that each negatron is a tiny magnet , the substance is only magnetic if all the electrons breaker point in the same way , otherwise the effect will cancel out .
In ferromagnetic substance , the electrons powerfully charm each other , so it ’s not surprising that once most of the speck are take out , the property are suddenly different . And this is why such a find might have far - get to consequences .
" You simply can not accurately predict what the electric , magnetic , forcible or chemic properties of a 2D monolayer crystal will be base on the conduct of its 3D bulk counterpart , " sound out atomic number 27 - lead generator and UW doctoral scholar Bevin Huang .
The construction of this monolayer is surprisingly simple . The necessary stuff is a 3D sample distribution of chromium triiodide and your standard sticky taping .
" Using Scotch tape to exfoliate a monolayer from its 3D volume crystal is surprisingly effective , " said Colorado - lead author and UW doctorial student Genevieve Clark . " This simple , low - cost proficiency was first used to obtain graphene , the 2D form of graphite , and has been used successfully since then with other material . "
This inquiry clearly demonstrates that magnetism can also befall in this 2D cloth and has the potential to be used in many fields where clear magnetic complex body part are required , such as computers and wandering phone .
The team also chance on that while a one - stratum version is ferromagnetic , a two - bed set up is not . Three layers is once again ferromagnetic , so it ’s potential that there ’s a connexion between the charismatic property and the figure of layers , although they are not certain what it is yet .
The team is also enquire heterostructures , cloth made of two unlike monolayers that could supply a “ good - of - both ” worlds technical scenario .
" Heterostructures hold the greatest promise of realize new applications in computing , database storage , communications and other covering we can not even bottom yet , " reason Xu .
