Strain-induced change in two-dimensional antiferromagnets

The control and manipulation of magnetic states by strain are the key challenges to better device technology. The recent experiments of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals magnets have opened a new door for strain control of magnetism. Of particular interest are the thickness-dependent magnetic states in 2D CrI3, which exhibits interlayer anti-ferromagnetic exchange interaction that is sensitive to strain and other external perturbations. Here, we performed optical measurements to examine the effect of strain on the magnetic states of a few-layer CrI3.