The altermagnet at room temperature in layers is promising for advanced spintronics

Traditionally, magnetic materials have been divided into two main categories: ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. In recent years, however, physicists have discovered the existence of altermagnets, a new type of magnetic material which has characteristics of antiferromagnets and ferromagnets.

The altermagnets are magnetic materials which have no clear magnetization (that is to say that their atomic magnetic moments are canceled), like antiferromagnets. However, they also break the degeneration of spin (that is to say the usual energy equality between spin-up and rotation electrons), in the same way as ferromagnets.

Researchers from Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Southern Science and Technology University, Hong Kong University of Sciences and Technology and other China Institutes have recently decided to make an altermagnet in layers that can generate a current of non -colinar rotation. The metallic altermagne at room temperature they have unveiled was described in an article published in Nature physics.

“Traditionally, there are two ways to generate spin polarized states in quantum materials,” said Chaoyu Chen, main author of the newspaper, to Phys.org. “One is based on non-magnetic materials with a strong spin-orbital coupling and a break in reversal symmetry. The other is based on ferromagnets in which the electrons are polarized by magnetic moments.

“On the other hand, the Antiferromagnets would have no spin polarization. Recently, it was theoretically proposed that in certain antiferromagnets with a certain symmetry, called altermagnets, the electrons are also polarized.”

Many studies in recent years have attempted to carry out and study the physical foundations of the altermagnets. Indeed, altermagnetic materials could be very promising for the development of new technologies, in particular spintronics devices, which use the rotation of electrons and their electrical load to store, transfer and process information.

“The altermagnets combine the advantage of ferromagnet, such as the polarization of the spin, the abnormal transport of the room and the couple in Spin-Stater, and the anti-blast, like the parasitic wandering field and the dynamics of Terahertz Magnon,” said Chen.

“This opens not only a new chapter in the field of research of fundamental physics, but also allows potential spintronic devices for the processing and storage of information. There is currently a global increase in the search for altermagnetic materials.”

Most altermagnets have produced and studied in recent years, including MNTE, CRSB and MN₅If₃Have a three -dimensional crystalline structure (3D), not a layer structure. In addition, none of these altermagnetic materials candidates have reached a current of pure rotation, due to the limits associated with their symmetry or an unwanted magnetic order.

“The last decade has witnessed the increase in two -dimensional (2D) and diapers such as graphene, transitional metal dichalcogenures, with great potential in physics exploration and the development of ultra -compact electronic and optoelectronic devices,” said Chen.

“Consequently, it is our motivation to seek altermagnets in layers which can produce a current of non -colinear rotation. V V₂You₂O and V₂Se₂O have been predicted as a two -dimensional altermagnet in 2021, and therefore we focus on V₂You₂Compounds linked to O. “

To demonstrate that the material they have achieved, namely RB_1-ΔV₂You₂O, has a magnetic order at room temperature, Chen and its colleagues measured its magnetic sensitivity. In addition, they used a technique known as the angle resolution photo-eating spectroscopy (arpes) to show that the material has a spline structure at the same time at low temperature and at room temperature.

They then used spin -resolved arps to prove the spin polarization of the electronic structure of the material. Finally, they used techniques called microscopy and spectroscopy with scanning tunnels to confirm that the diffusion of electrons between two opposite laps in RB_{1 -Δ}V₂You₂O is “prohibited” (that is, cannot occur).

“We have made an altermagnet in layers with a promising spin current generation, which is remarkable since all the altermagnet candidates previously introduced are not in layers and are not able to generate a current of non -hill spin,” said Chen.

“Nature in RB layers_{1 -Δ}V₂You₂O Not only promises progress in the search for new quantum phases such as topological superconductivity and the Chern / Axion isolation, but also allows various advantages in 2D materials, including, but without limiting itself, the realization of new superconductive / magnetic phases via the proximity effect, electronic properties granted by sheathing, tension and potential for superlat. “”

In the future, the altermagnet identified by this team of researchers could be studied further and potentially used to develop new spintronic devices. In addition, the recent work in Chen and its colleagues could inspire other research groups to try alternating engineering at similar room temperature.

“We now plan to make spin transport devices and directly measure spin current depending on RB_{1 -Δ}V₂You₂O, who will guide the potential application in Spintronics, “added Chen.

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