Towards a Magnetic Proximity Effect in a Van der Waals Heterostructure

The advent of new two-dimensional materials, and the ability to create van der Waals heterostructures has further intensified research interest in graphene. At the
heart of these heterostructures is the proximity effect, where one material synergistically inherits the properties of the material adjacent to it. The capabilities of graphene can thus be greatly enhanced by tailoring in new properties whilst preserving its excellent implicit properties. Of considerable interest is the creation of a long range magnetic order in graphene by means of a magnetic proximity effect from an
adjacent two-dimensional magnet. Such a system has industrial applications in the field of low power logic and memory devices. It is also of curiosity to scientists as
it harbours novel topological states, and could help understand the manifestation of phenomena such as magnetism in two dimensions. Here we fabricate devices made out of heterostructures of graphene and two-dimensional magnets. We characterize the electronic and magnetic properties of such devices using electronic transport, capacitance and optics. The majority of efforts have been directed towards creating clean interfaces, and preserving the magnetic materials, which are extremely chemically sensitive to ambient conditions. We demonstrate the presence of interfacial physics in these devices that lead to the enhancement in the magnetic order of the two-dimensional magnet.