  The discovery of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals magnets opened
unprecedented opportunities for the fundamental exploration of magnetism in
quantum materials and the realization of next generation spintronic devices.
Here, based on a multiscale modelling approach that combines first-principles
calculations and a Heisenberg model supplied with ab-initio parameters, we
report a strong magnetoelastic coupling in a free-standing monolayer of
CrTe$_2$. We demonstrate that different crystal structures of a single CrTe$_2$
give rise to non-collinear magnetism through magnetic frustration and emergence
of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Utilizing atomistic spin
dynamics, we perform a detailed investigation of the complex magnetic
properties pertaining to this 2D material impacted by the presence of various
types of structural distortions akin to charge density waves.
