Researchers have experimentally discovered intrinsic long-range ferromagnetic order in pristine 2D layers of Cr₂Ge₂Te₆, a van der Waals (vdW) crystal. This discovery marks the first observation of intrinsic ferromagnetism in 2D vdW materials, offering a new platform for studying spin behaviors and potential applications in spintronics. The study used scanning magneto-optic Kerr microscopy (S-MOKE) to observe the ferromagnetic transition temperature (T_C*) in Cr₂Ge₂Te₆, which was significantly enhanced by small magnetic fields (≤0.3 T), demonstrating a unique field dependence not seen in 3D systems. The results indicate that the magnetic anisotropy in 2D vdW crystals can be effectively controlled, leading to a sizable spin wave excitation gap and enabling long-range ferromagnetic order. The study also highlights the strong dimensionality effect in Cr₂Ge₂Te₆, where the transition temperature increases with thickness, approaching the bulk limit. This effect is attributed to the interlayer magnetic coupling and the reduced thermal fluctuations in 2D systems. Theoretical analysis using renormalized spin wave theory (RSWT) confirmed the experimental observations, showing that the magnetic anisotropy and external magnetic fields play crucial roles in determining the transition temperature. The discovery of intrinsic ferromagnetism in 2D vdW crystals opens new possibilities for magnetic, magnetoelectric, and magneto-optic applications. It also provides a close-to-ideal 2D Heisenberg ferromagnet for fundamental spin physics studies. The results demonstrate that 2D soft ferromagnetic vdW crystals can be manipulated to achieve desired magnetic properties, offering a pathway for developing ultra-compact spintronic devices. The study underscores the importance of direct measurements on atomic layers to understand the unique properties of 2D materials, as opposed to quasi-2D systems embedded in bulk materials.Researchers have experimentally discovered intrinsic long-range ferromagnetic order in pristine 2D layers of Cr₂Ge₂Te₆, a van der Waals (vdW) crystal. This discovery marks the first observation of intrinsic ferromagnetism in 2D vdW materials, offering a new platform for studying spin behaviors and potential applications in spintronics. The study used scanning magneto-optic Kerr microscopy (S-MOKE) to observe the ferromagnetic transition temperature (T_C*) in Cr₂Ge₂Te₆, which was significantly enhanced by small magnetic fields (≤0.3 T), demonstrating a unique field dependence not seen in 3D systems. The results indicate that the magnetic anisotropy in 2D vdW crystals can be effectively controlled, leading to a sizable spin wave excitation gap and enabling long-range ferromagnetic order. The study also highlights the strong dimensionality effect in Cr₂Ge₂Te₆, where the transition temperature increases with thickness, approaching the bulk limit. This effect is attributed to the interlayer magnetic coupling and the reduced thermal fluctuations in 2D systems. Theoretical analysis using renormalized spin wave theory (RSWT) confirmed the experimental observations, showing that the magnetic anisotropy and external magnetic fields play crucial roles in determining the transition temperature. The discovery of intrinsic ferromagnetism in 2D vdW crystals opens new possibilities for magnetic, magnetoelectric, and magneto-optic applications. It also provides a close-to-ideal 2D Heisenberg ferromagnet for fundamental spin physics studies. The results demonstrate that 2D soft ferromagnetic vdW crystals can be manipulated to achieve desired magnetic properties, offering a pathway for developing ultra-compact spintronic devices. The study underscores the importance of direct measurements on atomic layers to understand the unique properties of 2D materials, as opposed to quasi-2D systems embedded in bulk materials.