Tunable synthesis of atomic one-dimensional VxTey magnets within single-walled carbon nanotubes

The unstable configurations and uncontrollable stoichiometric ratios of atomically-thick one-dimensional (1D) magnets pose challenges for practical applications. Here, we employ a spatially confined domain strategy to obtain 1D vanadium tellurides (VxTey) with distinctive stoichiometry within single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Confined by SWCNTs with different inner diameters, three unconventional air-stable VxTey can be generated: 1D 1H-VTe2, V6Te6, and VTe3. Atomically resolved electron microscopy systematically unveils the conformational distributions of these three phases inside SWCNTs. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that these diverse VxTey phases exhibit different intrinsic electronic structures, which correspond to ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and non-magnetic properties. Furthermore, the magnetic response and magnetic anisotropy of the 1D VxTey@SWCNTs assembly are experimentally confirmed. This work highlights the preparation of air-stable atomic 1D magnets, offering promising solutions for the design of next-generation spintronic devices.