Cr_1/4NbSe₂-Single Crystal Growth and Evolution of Antiferromagnetic Correlated States.

Authors

Nour Abdelrahman, Bastian Rubrecht, Matheus Felipe de Souza Barbosa, Mahdi Behnami, Dmitriy Efremov, Daniel Wolf, Martin Valldor, Alexey A Popov, Stanislav M Avdoshenko, Marco Naumann, Martin Knupfer, Vladislav Kataev, Alexey Alfonsov, Anja U B Wolter, Michael Mertig, Bernd Büchner, Silke Hampel

Published in

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). Pages e78151. Oct 04, 2026. Epub Oct 04, 2026.

Abstract

Transition-metal dichalcogenides provide a versatile platform for the intercalation of magnetic ions in their van der Waals gaps, enabling tuning of correlated electronic and magnetic states. Despite extensive studies on sulfide-based systems, Cr_xNbSe₂ remains poorly understood due to scarcity of single-crystals and uncertainties in structural analyses leading to contradictory reports on its magnetic behavior. Here, high-quality single crystals of Cr_1/4NbSe₂ via chemical vapor transport were synthesized, along with comprehensive investigation of chemical, structural, electronic, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties, supported by density-functional theory calculations, presented for the first time. Single crystal x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction reveal ordered Cr intercalation forming a centrosymmetric 2 × 2 superlattice with hexagonal symmetry P6₃/mmc. Optical reflectivity indicates an enhanced electron scattering rate. DFT calculations predict antiferromagnetic ground state induced by Cr intercalation. Consistently, SQUID magnetometry and specific heat measurements hint a correlated antiferromagnetic state at T_N ≈ 107 K, while resistivity measurements show metallic transport, with no signatures of superconductivity. Electron spin resonance suggests weak internal field which possibly arise from subtle magnetic anisotropy, undetectable in angle-resolved magnetometry. These findings resolve longstanding inconsistencies and establish Cr_1/4NbSe₂ as a benchmark vdW antiferromagnet for next-generation spintronic and quantum materials.

PMID:
42829939
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 05 Oct 2026.

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