The rise of two-dimensional (2D) materials has ignited a revolution in modern physics. These atomic sheets offer a unique playground for studying transport, optics, and magnetism, where properties can be stacked, strained, and twisted to create entirely new materials not found in nature. By relying on weak but precise van der Waals forces to hold these layers together, we can now engineer electronic behavior at the smallest possible scale. In this talk, I will explore the frontier of two-dimensional Spintronics, a field that aims to transcend the "power wall" of traditional electronics. Instead of simply moving electrical charges, spintronics harnesses the electron's spin to process and store information, promising devices that are faster and more energy-efficient than today’s silicon chips. I will discuss how one can "indoctrinate" a material like graphene with magnetic or spin-orbit properties through the spin proximity effects, where the wavefunction hybridizes with a distinct neighbor to inherit new physical identities. I will present recent experimental and theoretical advances in this spin van der Waals engineering, demonstrating how tunable interfacial interactions can lead to both Hamiltonian engineering to discover fundamental phenomena, but also potential applications.
