Work

Relativistic Spin-Momentum Locking in Altermagnets

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Spin–momentum locking in altermagnets has been deeply explored in the nonrelativistic limit. Including spin–orbit coupling, altermagnets exhibit antisymmetric exchange interactions, leading to spin cantings. Therefore, the spin-momentum locking differs among the three spin components, S x, S y, and S z, forming the relativistic spin-momentum locking. We considered orthorhombic YVO 3 and hexagonal MnTe. For YVO 3, the relativistic locking comprises s-, d xy -, and d xz -wave. In MnTe, the dominant component S y of MnTe inherits the polarized charge distribution and the nonrelativistic spin-momentum locking bulk g-wave, but the breaking of the C 6 z rotational symmetry by the Néel vector lowers the symmetry from g-wave to d-wave. The relativistic spin-momentum locking for MnTe is composed of d xz -, d yz - and s-wave. Despite small magnitudes in real space, the canted spin components contribute significant spectral weight in k-space, impacting k-space properties, such as the spin-Hall conductivity and spin photocurrents.

Source: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c03677

Authors: Carmine Autieri, Amar Fakhredine

Institutions: University of Salerno, Institute of Physics, Superconducting and other Innovative Materials and Devices Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Magnetic properties of thin films

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: European Commission, Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej

Award: G262637578