Simultaneous achievement of record-breaking colossal magnetoresistance and angular magnetoresistance in an antiferromagnetic semiconductor EuSe2

Abstract

Magnetoresistance effect lays the foundation for spintronics, magnetic sensors and hard drives. The pursuit of magnetic materials with colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and/or angular magnetoresistance (AMR) has attracted enduring research interest and extensive investigations over past decades. Here we report on the discovery of field-induced record-breaking CMR of ~ -10^14 % and AMR ~ 10^14% achieved simultaneously in an antiferromagnetic rare-earth dichalcogenide EuSe2. Such intriguing observations are attributed to strong magnetic anisotropy and magnetic-field induced antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition of the localized Eu2+ spins, which in turn closes the bandgap by lifting the degeneracy of Se-5p bands near Fermi level. Our DFT calculations perfectly replicate the experimental findings based on the Brillouin function and carries transport model. The present work provides a potential simple antiferromagnetic material for achieving angle-sensitive spintronic devices.