Engineering spin textures in 2D chromium nitride through half halogenation

Abstract This study explores the magnetic behavior of two-dimensional half-halogenated chromium nitride (CrN) materials, namely F-CrN and Cl-CrN, using density functional theory (DFT) and low-energy models. Halogen doping breaks the symmetry of CrN, inducing magnetic properties and enhancing the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), a key mechanism for stabilizing complex spin textures. Simulations reveal that Cl-CrN stabilizes Néel-type skyrmions at magnetic fields of 50 T, which is achievable with high-field superconducting or resistive magnets. However, F-CrN requires much higher fields (275 T) to support antiskyrmions, reflecting the stronger DMI induced by fluorine. Accessible using pulsed magnetic field facilities, this makes the skyrmionic phases in halogenated CrN experimentally realizable. Controlling skyrmion phases via halogenation highlights the potential of these materials for spintronic applications, offering pathways for energy-efficient, robust data storage and processing technologies.