Phase-Transition-Induced Ferroelectric and Magnetic Switching in Two-Dimensional CuMnP2Se6 under Ultra-Low Electric Fields

Phase-Transition-Induced Ferroelectric and Magnetic Switching in Two-Dimensional CuMnP2Se6 under Ultra-Low Electric Fields | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Phase-Transition-Induced Ferroelectric and Magnetic Switching in Two-Dimensional CuMnP 2 Se 6 under Ultra-Low Electric Fields Yanchao Wang, Jingyan Chen, Meiling Xu, Yuntao Jie, Jiaqi Feng, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7190820/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Low-field electric control of magnetic phase transitions is critical for the development of energy-efficient spintronic and non-volatile memory technologies. Yet, the weak magnetoelectric coupling in most known two-dimensional multiferroics hinders their practical implementation. Here, using crystal structure prediction and high-throughput first-principles calculations, we identify four previously unexplored bimetallic thio(seleno)phosphate multiferroics, XMnP 2 (S/Se) 6 (X = Cu, Au), all exhibiting robust in-plane spontaneous polarization—contrasting with the predominantly out-of-plane behavior in this material family—which effectively mitigates depolarization effects. In particular, CuMnP 2 Se 6 hosts two stable C2-symmetric ferroelectric phases with opposite in-plane polarizations and distinct magnetic orders. Remarkably, an electric field as small as 0.001 V/Å can simultaneously reverse the polarization and induce an antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition. The associated barrier is exceptionally low (51 meV/f.u.), yielding a sizable magnetoelectric coefficient of 0.04 Gcm/V. These results highlight a viable strategy for realizing electric-field-driven magnetism in intrinsic two-dimensional multiferroics under experimentally feasible conditions. Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Ferroelectrics and multiferroics Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Ferromagnetism Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupportingInformation.docx Supporting Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7190820","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":490098870,"identity":"3785a51f-ea71-4cea-8e02-b739a237f4d9","order_by":0,"name":"Yanchao Wang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAq0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACxgcMDBakaWE2YGCQIE0LmwRpWgxuJD+r+FEjkbid//ABhp87iNKSZnaz55hE4s4ZaQmMvWeI0GJ2I4ftNtBtiRtu8BgwM7YRqaWY4R9Qy/kzJGgBqgRqOZBDpBb7M8+MJXv7JIxBfjnYS4wWyfbkhx9+fLORBYbYwQc/idHCIJAAphw3AIkDxGhgYOCHqLM3IE75KBgFo2AUjEQAAG6BN2VwDdq0AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4518-925X","institution":"Jilin University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanchao","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":490098871,"identity":"999cfe22-af50-41eb-8cd9-7e02269d56fc","order_by":1,"name":"Jingyan Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangsu Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jingyan","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":490098872,"identity":"245c206c-3e34-4d1b-a33d-60096dbc4804","order_by":2,"name":"Meiling Xu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangsu Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Meiling","middleName":"","lastName":"Xu","suffix":""},{"id":490098873,"identity":"d32f5d96-238e-484a-8a3f-5af05b1c5875","order_by":3,"name":"Yuntao Jie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangsu Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuntao","middleName":"","lastName":"Jie","suffix":""},{"id":490098874,"identity":"450c8a15-62b2-478f-9f7e-d4cf1888775b","order_by":4,"name":"Jiaqi Feng","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangsu Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jiaqi","middleName":"","lastName":"Feng","suffix":""},{"id":490098875,"identity":"7be928a1-6d18-4acd-b621-727fe47fcef0","order_by":5,"name":"Xiaodong Zhou","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0378-6729","institution":"Jiangsu Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiaodong","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhou","suffix":""},{"id":490098876,"identity":"b9dd4fc4-5c58-408f-8336-d190db52c8c5","order_by":6,"name":"Yinwei Li","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9974-504X","institution":"Jiangsu Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yinwei","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-23 00:15:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7190820/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7190820/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67516-8","type":"published","date":"2025-12-13T05:00:00+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":100863345,"identity":"cbf53cb0-8389-4078-bf65-439d2e25e0c0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 08:08:04","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":4991144,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"MnCuP2Se6Copy.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7190820/v1_covered_a9ab7ef8-5e8f-4e6f-b9a4-9285de6e65a0.pdf"},{"id":87719108,"identity":"6f847eed-81f2-477d-88e4-d33298996eba","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-28 09:34:37","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":4278211,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supporting Information","description":"","filename":"SupportingInformation.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7190820/v1/f5e29ed6c2aa49fa62d6b7ab.docx"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Phase-Transition-Induced Ferroelectric and Magnetic Switching in Two-Dimensional CuMnP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eSe\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e under Ultra-Low Electric Fields","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7190820/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7190820/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Low-field electric control of magnetic phase transitions is critical for the development of energy-efficient spintronic and non-volatile memory technologies. Yet, the weak magnetoelectric coupling in most known two-dimensional multiferroics hinders their practical implementation. Here, using crystal structure prediction and high-throughput first-principles calculations, we identify four previously unexplored bimetallic thio(seleno)phosphate multiferroics, XMnP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e(S/Se)\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e (X = Cu, Au), all exhibiting robust in-plane spontaneous polarization—contrasting with the predominantly out-of-plane behavior in this material family—which effectively mitigates depolarization effects. In particular, CuMnP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eSe\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e hosts two stable C2-symmetric ferroelectric phases with opposite in-plane polarizations and distinct magnetic orders. Remarkably, an electric field as small as 0.001 V/Å can simultaneously reverse the polarization and induce an antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition. The associated barrier is exceptionally low (51 meV/f.u.), yielding a sizable magnetoelectric coefficient of 0.04 Gcm/V. These results highlight a viable strategy for realizing electric-field-driven magnetism in intrinsic two-dimensional multiferroics under experimentally feasible conditions.","manuscriptTitle":"Phase-Transition-Induced Ferroelectric and Magnetic Switching in Two-Dimensional CuMnP2Se6 under Ultra-Low Electric Fields","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-28 09:34:29","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7190820/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-communications","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"NCOMMS","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Communications](http://www.nature.com/ncomms/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://mts-ncomms.nature.com/","title":"Nature Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Communications","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"546950e1-2fc0-4d5f-ac0e-088b35b00085","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 28th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":52035292,"name":"Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Ferroelectrics and multiferroics"},{"id":52035293,"name":"Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Ferromagnetism"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-22T08:07:56+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7190820","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67516-8","journal":{"identity":"nature-communications","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Nature Communications"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-13 05:00:00","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 13th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-28 09:34:29","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41467-025-67516-8","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67516-8","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7190820","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7190820","identity":"rs-7190820","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}