Magnetic proximity-induced anomalous Hall effect in 2D CrOCl/Pt heterostructure

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials boast exceptional properties for spintronics, including high spin-wave speeds and negligible stray fields. Their layer-by-layer assembly into heterostructures enables the exploration of next-generation spintronic devices. However, most 2D AFM materials are semiconductors or insulators. Thus, magneto-transport, a key segment of spintronics, is difficult to obtain especially at low temperatures. Herein, we report the observation of anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in 2D CrOCl/Pt bilayer heterostructure. Magneto-transport measurements supported by density functional theory calculations reveal that the appearance of AHE is generated by spin polarization in Pt due to the magnetic proximity effect. In addition, it is demonstrated that the magnetic easy-axis changes from the z-axis to the xy-plane at the interface of the heterostructure. Our work sheds light on the magneto-transport properties of 2D CrOCl and its potential in emerging spintronic devices.