Giant modulation of magnetoresistance in a van der Waals magnet by current-induce phase transition

Abstract Efficient magnetization control is a central issue in magnetism and spintronics1-8. Particularly, there are increasing demands for versatile manipulation of magnetic states in van der Waals (vdW) magnets for spintronic devices with their unconventional functionalities9-13. The electric control of the vdW magnets has been achieved for the magnetization switching via spin torque, but current-induced phase transition between ferromagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic states without external magnetic field is yet to be demonstrated12,14,15. Here, we report the current-induced magnetic phase transition in a vdW ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2, resulting in a giant magnetoresistance. Based on magneto-transport measurements and relevant theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that the transition sequentially occurs through the layers by voltage difference across the vdW gap, induced by an in-plane current. The current-tunability of magnetic phase in Fe5GeTe2 opens a path for electric control of the magnetic properties, expanding our ability to use vdW magnets for diverse spintronic device applications.