Strain-tunable electronic and magnetic properties of Nb$_3$I$_8$ multilayer

The study of novel 2D platforms implementing magnetism in tunable van der Waals (vdW) homo- and hetero-structures paves the way to innovative spintronics and magnetic devices. In this study, we unravel the intriguing properties of few-layer Nb$_3$I$_8$ vdW systems from first principles, showing that specific magnetic orderings can be tuned using several degrees of freedom, such as film thickness, stacking geometry, and strain or even a combination of them. All these aspects are explored here, giving a comprehensive view of this novel and promising magnetic material.