Three-dimensional mapping of the altermagnetic spin splitting in CrSb

Abstract Altermagnetism, a kind of collinear magnetism that is characterized by a momentum-dependent band and spin splitting without net magnetization, has recently attracted considerable interest. Finding altermagnetic materials with large splitting near the Fermi level necessarily requires three-d...

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Main Authors: Guowei Yang, Zhanghuan Li, Sai Yang, Jiyuan Li, Hao Zheng, Weifan Zhu, Ze Pan, Yifu Xu, Saizheng Cao, Wenxuan Zhao, Anupam Jana, Jiawen Zhang, Mao Ye, Yu Song, Lun-Hui Hu, Lexian Yang, Jun Fujii, Ivana Vobornik, Ming Shi, Huiqiu Yuan, Yongjun Zhang, Yuanfeng Xu, Yang Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56647-7
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Summary:Abstract Altermagnetism, a kind of collinear magnetism that is characterized by a momentum-dependent band and spin splitting without net magnetization, has recently attracted considerable interest. Finding altermagnetic materials with large splitting near the Fermi level necessarily requires three-dimensional k-space mapping. While this is crucial for spintronic applications and emergent phenomena, it remains challenging. Here, using synchrotron-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), spin-resolved ARPES and model calculations, we uncover a large altermagnetic splitting, up to  ~1.0 eV, near the Fermi level in CrSb. We verify its bulk-type g-wave altermagnetism through systematic three-dimensional k-space mapping, which unambiguously reveals the altermagnetic symmetry and associated nodal planes. Spin-resolved ARPES measurements further verify the spin polarizations of the split bands near Fermi level. Tight-binding model analysis indicates that the large altermagnetic splitting arises from strong third-nearest-neighbor hopping mediated by Sb ions. The large band/spin splitting near Fermi level in metallic CrSb, together with its high T N (up to 705 K) and simple spin configuration, paves the way for exploring emergent phenomena and spintronic applications based on altermagnets.
ISSN:2041-1723