A team of researchers, led by University of Texas at Dallas scientists, has developed a new technique to grow exceptionally large, high-quality crystals that could help make advanced electronics, such as spintronic and magnetic optoelectronic devices, a reality.

Very thin layers—just one or two atoms thick—can be exfoliated easily from the bulk crystals. These two-dimensional layers exhibit surprising magnetic properties and are very stable in air at , making them of interest for use in devices that incorporate stacked layers of different materials.

Dr. Wenhao Liu, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Physics in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, developed the solid-vapor synthesis technique to grow chromium sulfide bromide crystals, which typically are made through the chemical vapor transport (CVT) method. The paper is published in the journal ACS Nano.

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