Imaging Strain-Controlled\nMagnetic Reversal in Thin\nCrSBr

Two-dimensional materials are extraordinarily sensitive\nto external\nstimuli, making them ideal for studying fundamental properties and\nfor engineering devices with new functionalities. One such stimulus,\nstrain, affects the magnetic properties of the layered magnetic semiconductor\nCrSBr to such a degree that it can induce a reversible antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic\nphase transition. Using scanning SQUID-on-lever microscopy, we directly\nimage the effects of spatially inhomogeneous strain on the magnetization\nof layered CrSBr, as it is polarized by a field applied along its\neasy axis. The evolution of this magnetization and the formation of\ndomains is reproduced by a micromagnetic model, which incorporates\nthe spatially varying strain and the corresponding changes in the\nlocal interlayer exchange stiffness. The observed sensitivity to small\nstrain gradients along with similar images of a nominally unstrained\nCrSBr sample suggest that unintentional strain inhomogeneity influences\nthe magnetic behavior of exfoliated samples.