  Despite the presence of the exact solution and well-established recipe for
its realization, the quest for the Kitaev spin liquid in real materials remains
exceptionally challenging. Among many magnets, $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ emerges as a
prime candidate, albeit the hallmarks of the spin liquid manifest only within
the specific region where the zigzag-type antiferromagnetic order is suppressed
by an applied magnetic field. Here, we propose the possibility of the Kitaev
spin liquid at zero field by making van der Waals heterostructures of
$\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ and a ferromagnet Cr$X_3$ ($X$=Cl and I). Using {\it ab
initio} calculations, we find that in the case of $X$=Cl the zigzag order is
suppressed by the proximity effect of the ferromagnetic CrCl$_3$ layer, while
the Kitaev interaction is still relevant in the $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ layer.
Notably, the induced Ru moment is close to the value observed in the spin
liquid region of the bulk material, signifying the realization of the Kitaev
spin liquid at zero field. In contrast, in the case of $X$=I, the system is on
the verge of an insulator-metal transition by carrier doping through interlayer
hybridization. Our results indicate that van der Waals heterostructures provide
a new platform for studying not only magnetic but also electronic properties of
the Kitaev magnets.
