Magnetism in two dimensions is one of the most intriguing and alluring phenomena in condensed matter physics. Atomically thin 2D materials have emerged as a promising platform for exploring magnetic properties, leading to the development of essential technologies such as supercomputing and data storage. Arising from spin and charge dynamics in elementary particles, magnetism has also unraveled promising advances in spintronic devices and spin-dependent optoelectronics and photonics. Recently, antiferromagnetism in 2D materials has received extensive attention, leading to significant advances in their understanding and emerging applications; such materials have zero net magnetic moment yet are internally magnetic. Several theoretical and experimental approaches have been proposed to probe, characterize, and modulate the magnetic states efficiently in such systems. This Review presents the latest developments and current status for tuning the magnetic properties in distinct 2D van der Waals antiferromagnets. Various state-of-the-art optical techniques deployed to investigate magnetic textures and dynamics are discussed. Furthermore, device concepts based on antiferromagnetic spintronics are scrutinized. We conclude with remarks on related challenges and technological outlook in this rapidly expanding field.
Keywords: 2D materials; Raman spectroscopy; antiferromagnetic ordering; emerging devices; harmonic generation; layered magnetism; pristine fabrication; spin-based memory; spintronics.