ELASTOMAG-vdW funded under the Theodore Papazoglou FORTH Synergy Grants, aims to establish mechanical strain as a quantitative tool for controlling magnetism in ultrathin van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnets.

The central challenge is to uncover the microscopic origin of magnetoelastic coupling in two-dimensional magnets.

Flexible devices will be developed so that nanoflakes of 2D quantum materials undergo controlled deformation while their magnetic, electrical and vibrational responses are monitored, supported by  theoretical modelling to interpret the experimental results.

The interdisciplinary collaborative approach will establish a quantitative framework that integrates optical spectroscopy [1] of vdW systems, low-dimensional magnetism [2]and nanophysics [3]of flexible 2D materials. It will lay the foundations for flexible magnetic sensors, spintronic devices and programmable magnetic memory.