What the study found
The study found 180 materials with significant altermagnetic spin splitting. These materials include both metallic and semiconducting systems, and some representative cases discussed are UCr2Si2C, NbMnP, and YRuO3.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say altermagnetism is promising for next-generation spintronics because it can produce sizable spin splitting in materials made of light, earth-abundant elements. They also conclude that the momentum-resolved results can guide future photoemission experiments, which are experiments that measure how electrons are emitted from a material when it is illuminated.
What the researchers tested
The researchers carried out a high-throughput screening of 2,287 entries in the MAGNDATA database. They combined symmetry analysis with spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT, a computational method for calculating electronic structure) and examined collinear structures as well as collinear versions of entries reported as noncollinear.
What worked and what didn't
Their workflow identified 180 altermagnetic candidates with significant spin splitting. The momentum-resolved analysis showed that spin splitting varies strongly across the Brillouin zone, a standard way of representing momentum space in crystals, and that the largest splitting often occurs away from high-symmetry paths. The comparison with the Computational 2D Materials Database and the AiiDA 2D repository found 9 bulk altermagnets with chemically equivalent 2D counterparts linked to the same ICSD parent entry.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe experimental validation of the predicted materials. It also does not give detailed limitations beyond noting that the maximal spin splitting can occur away from high-symmetry paths, so results based only on those paths may miss the largest effects.
Key points
- A screening of 2,287 MAGNDATA entries identified 180 materials with significant altermagnetic spin splitting.
- The materials include both metallic and semiconducting systems.
- The study combined symmetry analysis with spin-polarized density functional theory calculations.
- Spin splitting varied strongly across momentum space and was often largest away from high-symmetry paths.
- The authors found 9 bulk altermagnets with chemically equivalent 2D counterparts in comparison databases.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Screening finds 180 materials with significant altermagnetic spin splitting
- Authors:
- Ali Sufyan, Brahim Marfoua, Johan Larsson, Erik G. C. P. van Loon, Rickard Armiento
- Institutions:
- Linköping University, Linköping University, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Lund University, Lund University
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-24
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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