The Genesis of van der Waals Magnets

This article traces the 15-year journey (2010–2025) of pioneering research on van der Waals (vdW) magnets in Korea, starting from the original idea of “magnetic graphene”. I recount my early failures with oxide systems, and then the discovery of TMPS3 compounds as model 2D magnets in the early 2010s. Crucially, the first public talks were given in 2015–2016, including one at the 2015 Korean Physical Society Fall meeting, along with the publication of four papers in 2016. Notably, the FePS3 paper verified Onsager’s 2D Ising model experimentally, which established the foundation of the field. Our work and research done by other groups triggered a global interest in the field, making vdW magnetism a major topic in condensed matter and materials science worldwide. Finally, I end with my personal reflections on the future direction of the field.