Researchers have built a new type of spin transistor using chromium sulfide bromide (CrSBr)

Researchers have built a new type of spin transistor using chromium sulfide bromide, or CrSBr, a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic semiconductor. The device, a monolayer-bilayer junction, exhibits significant, gate-tunable magnetoresistance achieved through a combination of electrostatic doping and interlayer exchange coupling; this mechanism differs from vertical tunneling devices. The team visualized a layer-sharing effect that selects between coherent or domain-wall reversal at the spin-flip transition, enabling multilevel, memristive conductance states and offering a path toward non-volatile computing. This layer-dependent space charge mechanism for combined electrical and magnetic control opens opportunities to address limitations in current computing architectures. These findings were detailed in a publication released on July 22, 2026.

CrSBr, a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic semiconductor, forms the basis of a novel spin transistor design integrating transistor-like functionality with potential for non-volatile memory. This architecture exhibits significant, gate-tunable magnetoresistance resulting from electrostatic doping influencing lateral conduction alongside interlayer exchange coupling; the combined effect allows for substantial control over electrical current via magnetic fields. The team visualized a layer-sharing effect at the spin-flip transition, enabling multilevel, memristive conductance states. The ability to select between coherent or domain-wall reversal offers a surprising degree of control over the device’s magnetic properties. This approach to spin-based electronics leverages the unique properties of CrSBr to achieve both electrical and magnetic control within a single device, opening opportunities for advanced computing architectures and memory storage solutions. The work demonstrates a path toward integrating logic and memory functions, potentially streamlining data processing and reducing energy consumption.

Researchers are now directly visualizing conductance mechanisms within novel two-dimensional spin transistors using nitrogen-vacancy center magnetic imaging; this technique reveals how electrical and magnetic control converge at the nanoscale. Our layer-dependent space charge mechanism for combined electrical and magnetic control opens opportunities to address limitations in contemporary computing. The study demonstrates the ability to achieve multilevel conductance states, a functionality enabled by a layer-sharing effect that selects between coherent or domain-wall reversal at the spin-flip transition, allowing the device to switch between coherent electron transport and domain-wall reversal.