Electrical tuning of robust layered antiferromagnetism in MXene monolayer.

The article focuses on the prediction and analysis of robust layered A-type antiferromagnetism in the MXene Cr₂CCl₂ monolayer, characterized by in-plane ferromagnetic order and interlayer antiferromagnetic coupling with a high Néel temperature (~1300 K). Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, it demonstrates that an external electric field or a proximate ferroelectric (FE) layer can induce Zeeman-like band splitting between spin channels without generating net magnetization, breaking inversion symmetry via electronic cloud distortions. This magnetoelectric effect can be detected through the magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE), providing a feasible approach for electrical control and nonvolatile switching in two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spintronic devices. The study also constructs a Cr₂CCl₂/Sc₂CO₂ heterostructure, showing that FE polarization switching modulates the bandgap and MOKE signals while preserving the robust antiferromagnetic order.