Recent advances in growth, characterization, and application of two-dimensional multiferroic materials

Since the successful experimental fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) monolayer van der Waals (vdW) NiI₂ material, which belongs to type II multiferroics, there has been a surge of interest in the research on 2D multiferroics. Furthermore, 2D multiferroics exhibit multiple ferroic orders, expanding their applications to high-density data storage, low-power multistate memories, spintronics, nanoelectronics, and actuators, among others. The coupling of magnetoelectricity, magnetoelasticity, piezoelectricity, and magneto−valley effects in 2D multiferroics offers technological advancements for multifunctional devices. Therefore, this review focuses on recent progress in ferromagnetic−ferroelectric materials as well as ferromagnetic-ferroelastic materials, and explores their categorization, growth methods, and characterization techniques. Finally, potential research challenges, along with prospects and application scenarios for 2D multiferroic materials, are outlined.