Viewpoint: on the emergence of van der Waals magnets: a personal reflection.

The observation of magnetism in atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) antiferromagnets (FePS3, NiPS3, and MnPS3) in 2016 marked an important moment in the development of two-dimensional physics. In this personal reflection, I describe how a simple question, posed in the early 2010s, motivated experimental efforts that culminated in the demonstration of antiferromagnetic order in monolayer FePS3. Alongside subsequent reports of vdW ferromagnets in 2017, these developments helped establish intrinsic magnetism as a viable degree of freedom in atomically thin materials. I close with personal lessons drawn from this period and a perspective on the opportunities that now shape the field's second decade and beyond.