Interfacial Magnetotransport in a NiI$_2$/Graphene Heterostructure

Abstract

We investigate magnetotransport in a van der Waals heterostructure composed of monolayer graphene and the insulating helical antiferromagnet nickel iodide (NiI$_2$). While NiI$_2$ is highly resistive and thus poorly suited for direct transport measurements, we demonstrate that magnetotransport in an adjacent graphene layer provides an electrical readout of magnetic-state-dependent interfacial behavior. Most notably, first-harmonic longitudinal magnetoresistance under in-plane magnetic fields exhibits large, anisotropic low-field peaks that are absent from a monolayer graphene/h-BN control device and are suppressed above the multiferroic transition temperature of NiI$_2$. Temperature-dependent harmonic measurements provide complementary evidence: the second-harmonic resistance shows the clearest nonlinear contrast relative to the control device, while the third harmonic contains a larger generic nonlinear and thermal background that is nevertheless modified in the heterostructure. These results demonstrate that graphene-based transport measurements offer a sensitive, non-invasive probe of magnetic phase behavior in electrically insulating van der Waals magnets, opening routes toward spintronic devices based on insulating vdW multiferroics.