Enhancing Ferromagnetism and Tuning Electronic Properties of CrI₃ Monolayers by Adsorption of Transition-Metal Atoms

Among first experimentally discovered two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic materials, chromium triiodide (CrI3) monolayers have attracted particular attention due to their potential applications in electronics and spintronics. However, the Curie temperature Tc of the CrI3 monolayer is below room temperature, which greatly limits practical development of the devices. Herein, using density functional theory calculation, we explore how the electronic and magnetic properties of CrI3 monolayers change upon adsorption of 3d transition-metal (TM) atoms (from Sc to Zn). Our results indicate that the electronic properties of the TM-CrI3 system can be tuned from semiconductor to metal/half-metal/spin gapless semiconductor depending on the choice of the adsorbed TM atoms. Moreover, the adsorption can improve the ferromagnetic stability of CrI3 monolayers by increasing both magnetic moments and Tc. Notably, Tc of CrI3 with Sc and V adatoms can be increased by nearly a factor of 3. We suggest postsynthesis doping of 2D CrI3 by deposition of TM atoms as a new route toward potential applications of TM-CrI3 systems in nanoelectronic and spintronic devices.