  Chromium iodide monolayers, which have different magnetic properties in
comparison to the bulk chromium iodide, have been shown to form skyrmionic
states in applied electromagnetic fields or in Janus-layer devices. In this
work, we demonstrate that spin-canted solutions can be induced into monolayer
chromium iodide by select substitution of iodide atoms with isovalent
impurities. Several concentrations and spatial configurations of halide
substitutional defects are selected to probe the coupling between the local
defect-induced geometric distortions and orientation of chromium magnetic
moments. This work provides atomic-level insight into how atomically precise
strain-engineering can be used to create and control complex magnetic patterns
in chromium iodide layers and lays out the foundation for investigating the
field- and geometric-dependent magnetic properties in similar two-dimensional
materials.
