Researchers from the CSIC at INMA (CSIC–UNIZAR) have collaborated in a study that has identified a new family of two‑dimensional materials capable of maintaining their magnetic properties even above room temperature, a key requirement for the development of quantum technologies and more efficient electronic devices.
Zaragoza, 27th July. A team of researchers from the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials of Institute (INMA), a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), has taken an important step towards developing materials that could underpin the next generation of electronic devices and quantum technologies. The work at INMA is led by CSIC physicist Mikhail Otrokov.
The study, published in Physical Review B, predicts the existence of a new family of two‑dimensional (2D) magnetic materials with properties far superior to those known to date. Although they have not yet been synthesised in the laboratory, calculations carried out by the team show that they could retain their magnetism even above room temperature, a challenge that for years has limited the development of this type of material.
The research was also carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM‑CSIC), the Materials Physics Centre (CFM, CSIC‑UPV/EHU) and the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC).
Magnets only three atoms thick
The materials studied belong to the family of so‑called Janus materials, named after the two‑faced Roman god because they have a different composition on each of their surfaces.
These are monolayers barely three atoms thick which, according to simulations based on quantum‑mechanical calculations, could preserve their magnetic order between 370 and 410 kelvin (around 100 to 140 °C), well above room temperature.
Until now, the most widely studied two‑dimensional magnetic materials only retained these properties at extremely low temperatures, far from those required for real technological applications.
“One of the major challenges in two‑dimensional magnetism is precisely to obtain materials that maintain their magnetic properties under normal operating conditions. Our predictions indicate that this new family could overcome that barrier,” explains Mikhail Otrokov, CSIC researcher at INMA (CSIC‑UNIZAR) and one of the main authors of the study.
A step towards the future of electronics and quantum computing
The interest in these materials goes far beyond their magnetic behaviour. Their asymmetric structure gives rise to unique electronic properties that could be exploited to develop new technologies in strategic fields such as spintronics—a branch of electronics that uses the spin of electrons to process information with much lower energy consumption—or quantum computing.
Calculations carried out by the team indicate that these materials could facilitate the development of quantum states needed for future quantum computers and promote the emergence of the so‑called anomalous quantum Hall effect, a phenomenon that would allow electrical current to be transported with virtually no energy loss.
If confirmed experimentally, these materials would open the door to faster, more efficient electronic devices with far lower energy consumption than current technology.
The next challenge: synthesising them in the laboratory
Although the results are highly promising, the researchers emphasise that, for the moment, this is a theoretical prediction based on first‑principles simulations and atomic spin‑dynamics models.
The team has also verified that the proposed materials are structurally stable, increasing the likelihood that they can be synthesised in the future.
“Definitive confirmation will come when these materials can be fabricated and characterised experimentally. Our work provides a solid roadmap for other groups to attempt to obtain them in the laboratory,” Otrokov notes.
If these predictions are confirmed, this new family of materials could become one of the most promising candidates to drive the next generation of high‑efficiency quantum and electronic devices.
Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence
The Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA) is the first in our Autonomous Community to obtain the Severo Ochoa excellence accreditation, awarded by the Spanish State Research Agency. This recognition entails funding of €4.5 million and five predoctoral contracts for the period 2024–2028.
INMA is a joint research institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR). With around 300 members, it has more than 40 ongoing European projects and an annual average of 300 publications and €7 million obtained through competitive public programmes. It also works in collaboration with industry.
Bibliographic reference of the study:
“Chromium chalcohalide Janus monolayer ferromagnets with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and high Curie temperature”
DOI: 10.1103/2jhq-f9z7
Physical Review B 113, 184425, 7th May 2026
M. Bosnar J.M. Lendinez, A.Yu. Vyazovskaya, I.Yu. Sklyadneva, R. Heid, S.V. Eremeev, U. Atxitia, S. Gallego, E.V. Chulkov, A. Arnau and M.M. Otrokov
