Biaxial Strain-Mediated Room Temperature Ferromagnetism of ReS₂ Web Buckles

Buckling-driven delamination of thin films on rigid substrates is frequently observed, which leads to deterioration or failure of the film-based devices. However, it is observed for the first-time that web buckles could enhance room-temperature ferromagnetism in PAD-grown ReS₂ thin films. Here, room-temperature ferromagnetic ReS₂ thin films with web buckles are prepared by polymer-assisted deposition (PAD) for the first time. The morphology and crystalline structure of the samples are characterized using optical, electron, atomic force microscopes and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. The relationship between the web buckle–induced strain and ferromagnetic properties is further explored by combing calculations based on density functional theory and experimental techniques including Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. The results reveal that the biaxial strain has a robust tuning effect on the room-temperature ferromagnetism of ReS₂ samples, suggesting that strain engineering could have significant applications in low-dimensional spintronic devices.