AMaRaNTA: automated first-principles exchange parameters in 2D magnets
Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) magnets host a wide range of exotic magnetic textures, whose low-energy excitations and finite-temperature properties are typically described by effective spin models based on Heisenberg-like Hamiltonians. A key challenge in this framework is the reliable determination, from ab initio calculations, of exchange parameters and their anisotropic components, crucial for stabilising long-range order. Among the strategies proposed for this task, the energy-mapping method, based on total-energy calculations within Density Functional Theory (DFT), is the most widely adopted, but typically requires laborious, multi-step procedures. To overcome this limitation, we introduce AMaRaNTA (Automating Magnetic paRAmeters iN a Tensorial Approach), a computational package that systematically automates the energy-mapping method, through its “four-state” formulation, to extract exchange and anisotropy parameters in 2D magnets. In its current implementation, AMaRaNTA returns the nearest-neighbour exchange tensor, complemented by scalar parameters for second- and third-nearest-neighbour exchange interactions as well as single-ion anisotropy. Together, these provide a minimal yet sufficient set of parameters to capture magnetic frustration and anisotropies, essential for stabilising several observed magnetic states in 2D materials. Applied to a representative subset of the Materials Cloud 2D Structure database, AMaRaNTA demonstrates robust and reproducible screening of magnetic interactions, with clear potential for high-throughput simulations.
Authors
- Srdjan Stavrić (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2097-0955)
- Marco Gibertini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3980-5319)
- Lorenzo Varrassi
- Antimo Marrazzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2053-9962)
- Giuseppe Cuono (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1550-5429)
- Federico Orlando (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3937-3475)
- Paolo Barone
- Andrea Droghetti
- Cesare Franchini
Institutions
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (IT)
- University of Vienna (AT)
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (IT)
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (IT)
- University of Chieti-Pescara (IT)
- University of Belgrade (RS)
- Osservatorio astronomico di Bologna (IT)
- Istituto Nanoscienze (IT)
- Cineca (IT)
- Bologna Research Area (IT)
- Consorzio Roma Ricerche (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bologna (IT)
- Institute of Physics Belgrade (RS)
- University of Milano-Bicocca (IT)
- University of Bologna (IT)
- Politecnico di Milano (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Computational Materials
- Published
- 2026-03-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-026-01968-4
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Condensed Matter Physics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- European Commission
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca