Enhancing the Spin–Orbit Coupling in Fe3O4 Epitaxial Thin Films by Interface Engineering

Two-dimensional (2D) systems have considerably strengthened their position as one of the premier candidates to become the key material for the proposed spintronics technology, in which computational logic, communications and information storage are all processed by the electron spin. In this article, some of the most representative 2D materials including ferromagnetic metals (FMs) and diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMSs) in their thin film form, magnetic topological insulators (TIs), magnetic graphene and magnetic transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are reviewed for their recent research progresses. FM thin films have spontaneous magnetization and usually high Curie temperature (Tc), though this can be strongly altered when bonded with semiconductors (SCs). DMS and magnetic TIs have the advantage of easy integration with the existing SC-based technologies, but less robust magnetism. Magnetic ordering in graphene and TMDs are even more fragile and limited to cryogenic temperatures so far, but they are particularly interesting topics due to the desired long spin lifetime as well as the outstanding mechanical and optical properties of these materials.