Realization of a spin glass in a two-dimensional van der Waals material

Science 2026 Open access

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Authors: Banabir Pal, Ajesh K. Gopi, Yicheng Guan, Ruifeng Wang, Anirban Chakraborty, Kajal Tiwari, Anagha Mathew, Abhay K. Srivastava, Wenjie Zhang, Ilya Kostanovski, Binoy Krishna Hazra, Holger L. Meyerheim
+1 more S. Parkin
DOI: 10.1126/science.adp0091
Cited by: 1
References: 65

Abstract

Recent advances in van der Waals materials have sparked renewed interest in the impact of dimensionality on magnetic phase transitions. Although ordered magnetic phases have been demonstrated to survive in the two-dimensional (2D) limit, the quest for a spin glass with quenched magnetic disorder in lower dimensions has proven elusive. Here, we provide evidence of a spin glass emerging from randomly distributed Fe atoms in Fe 3 GeTe 2 (FGT). ac magnetic susceptibility displays a strong frequency dependence indicative of slow spin dynamics. Additional distinctive phenomena, including aging, chaos, and memory effects, further substantiate the existence of a glassy state. Notably, we found that this state persists even in single-cell–thick FGT, thereby confirming the existence of a 2D spin glass.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Theoretical and Computational Physics Photonic Crystals and Applications Random lasers and scattering media

Publication details

Journal / source
Science
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Volume
392
Issue
6798
Pages
624–628
Publication date
7 May 2026
Language
EN