Altermagnets : Study
Scientists have spotted a fascinating and previously unobserved electrical and thermal transport phenomenon in the high-quality single-crystalline altermagnet CrSb.
- Altermagnets are a newly discovered class of magnetic materials that enjoy the best properties of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets.
- They do not show any net magnetism externally, but deep inside, their electrons behave in ways that can be incredibly useful—especially for futuristic technologies like spintronics (manipulating the spin of electrons instead of their charge).
- Altermagnets defy conventional norms by embodying a dual nature—resembling antiferromagnets with zero net magnetization and ferromagnets with non-relativistic spin splitting.
- This unique behavior emerges from the intricate interplay of atoms within the crystal structure.
- Additionally, altermagnets exhibit a unique spin polarization. The term “spin polarization” means that a preponderance of electron spins tends to align in a particular direction.
- The spin polarization is noteworthy in altermagnets because it occurs in the physical arrangement of atoms (real space) and in the momentum space, where the distribution of electron spins in the material is considered.
- The researchers believe that altermagnets could have a pivotal role in spin caloritronics, a field of research that explores the interplay between spin and heat flow, which are not achievable with ferromagnets or antiferromagnets.
- This field has potential applications in developing new technologies for information processing and storage.
