Tensorial approach to altermagnetism
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: I present a tensorial approach to the description of k / – k -symmetric, time-reversal-odd splitting of electronic bands in magnetic materials, which can be of nonrelativistic origin and was recently given the name of “altermagnetism”. I demonstrate that tensors provide a general framework to discuss magnetic symmetry using both spin groups and magnetic point groups, which have often been contrasted in recent literature. I also provide a natural classification of altermagnets in terms of the lowest-order tensorial forms that are permitted in each of the 69 altermagnetic point groups. This approach clarifies the connection between altermagnetism and well-known bulk properties, establishing that the vast majority of altermagnetic materials must also be piezomagnetic and MOKE-active, and provides a rational criterion to search for potential altermagnets among known materials and to test them when the magnetic structure is unknown or ambiguous. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Author: Paolo G. Radaelli
Institution: University of Oxford
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4405566817