Emerging Research Landscape of Altermagnetism

Magnetism is one of the largest, most fundamental, and technologically most relevant fields of condensed-matter physics. Traditionally, two basic magnetic phases have been distinguished ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. The spin polarization in the electronic band structure reflecting the magnetization in ferromagnetic crystals underpins the broad range of time-reversal symmetry-breaking responses in this extensively explored and exploited type of magnets. By comparison, antiferromagnets have vanishing net magnetization. Recently, there have been observations of materials in which strong time-reversal symmetry-breaking responses and spin-polarization phenomena, typical of ferromagnets, are accompanied by antiparallel magnetic crystal order with vanishing net magnetization, typical of antiferromagnets. A classification and description based on spin-symmetry principles offers a resolution of this apparent contradiction by establishing a third distinct magnetic phase, dubbed altermagnetism. Our perspective starts with an overview of the still emerging unique phenomenology of this unconventional d-wave (or higher even-parity wave) magnetic phase, and of the wide array of altermagnetic material candidates. We illustrate how altermagnetism can enrich our understanding of overarching condensed-matter physics concepts and how it can have impact on prominent condensed-matter research areas.

Automated summary

Magnetism is a significant and technologically relevant field in condensed-matter physics, traditionally characterized by ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. However, a new magnetic phase called altermagnetism has recently been discovered, which exhibits unique features in spin symmetry and net magnetization. Investigating this phenomenon allows for a deeper understanding of condensed-matter physics and its impact on other research areas.