The magnetoresistance studies of van der Waals CrTe2 flakes

Two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnets have garnered significant attention in spintronics due to their unique properties. Among them, CrTe2 flakes stand out because of their intrinsic in-plane magnetization and Curie temperature above room temperature. Despite these intriguing magnetic properties, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this paper, we meticulously investigate the magnetoresistance (MR) response of CrTe2 flakes to variations in magnetic field and temperature. Below 40 K, CrTe2 exhibits positive MR correlated with carrier density, including a distinctive linear non-saturating MR at 3 K. Above 40 K, the suppression of electron–magnon scattering leads to linear negative MR, which is a characteristic feature of ferromagnetic materials. As the temperature approaches 240 K, thermal excitations gradually increase, and scattering from fluctuating local moments begins to play a significant role, resulting in the nonlinear MR phenomenon. Magnetic anisotropy contributes to anisotropic MR across different current and magnetic field orientations. In low magnetic fields where the magnetic moment is unsaturated, we combined the localized magnetic moment and two-band models to explain the MR behavior, achieving good fitting results. These findings significantly enhance the understanding of CrTe2's ferromagnetic properties and magnetic transport behavior, laying a foundation for its future development and practical applications in spintronics.