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Direct observation of altermagnetic band splitting in CrSb thin films

Author

Listed:
  • Sonka Reimers

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

  • Lukas Odenbreit

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

  • Libor Šmejkal

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
    Inst. of Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

  • Vladimir N. Strocov

    (Paul Scherrer Institut)

  • Procopios Constantinou

    (Paul Scherrer Institut)

  • Anna B. Hellenes

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

  • Rodrigo Jaeschke Ubiergo

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

  • Warlley H. Campos

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

  • Venkata K. Bharadwaj

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

  • Atasi Chakraborty

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

  • Thibaud Denneulin

    (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

  • Wen Shi

    (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

  • Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski

    (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

  • Suvadip Das

    (George Mason University
    George Mason University)

  • Mathias Kläui

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
    Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU)

  • Jairo Sinova

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
    Texas A&M University)

  • Martin Jourdan

    (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

Abstract

Altermagnetism represents an emergent collinear magnetic phase with compensated order and an unconventional alternating even-parity wave spin order in the non-relativistic band structure. We investigate directly this unconventional band splitting near the Fermi energy through spin-integrated soft X-ray angular resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimentally obtained angle-dependent photoemission intensity, acquired from epitaxial thin films of the predicted altermagnet CrSb, demonstrates robust agreement with the corresponding band structure calculations. In particular, we observe the distinctive splitting of an electronic band on a low-symmetry path in the Brilliouin zone that connects two points featuring symmetry-induced degeneracy. The measured large magnitude of the spin splitting of approximately 0.6 eV and the position of the band just below the Fermi energy underscores the significance of altermagnets for spintronics based on robust broken time reversal symmetry responses arising from exchange energy scales, akin to ferromagnets, while remaining insensitive to external magnetic fields and possessing THz dynamics, akin to antiferromagnets.

Suggested Citation

  • Sonka Reimers & Lukas Odenbreit & Libor Šmejkal & Vladimir N. Strocov & Procopios Constantinou & Anna B. Hellenes & Rodrigo Jaeschke Ubiergo & Warlley H. Campos & Venkata K. Bharadwaj & Atasi Chakrabo, 2024. "Direct observation of altermagnetic band splitting in CrSb thin films," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-46476-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46476-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. J. Krempaský & L. Šmejkal & S. W. D’Souza & M. Hajlaoui & G. Springholz & K. Uhlířová & F. Alarab & P. C. Constantinou & V. Strocov & D. Usanov & W. R. Pudelko & R. González-Hernández & A. Birk Hellen, 2024. "Altermagnetic lifting of Kramers spin degeneracy," Nature, Nature, vol. 626(7999), pages 517-522, February.
    2. Ding-Fu Shao & Shu-Hui Zhang & Ming Li & Chang-Beom Eom & Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, 2021. "Spin-neutral currents for spintronics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
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