SLAC researchers find proof of altermagnetism, a new magnetic phase

Physicists at SLAC's National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered conclusive evidence of a third type of magnetism, known as altermagnetism, which exhibits properties of both ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. The researchers used manganese telluride (MnTe) to demonstrate this new magnetic phase, which has a unique chirality, or asymmetric magnetic structure. This finding could lead to the development of advanced electronics, including quantum technologies, memory devices, and data centers. The study was published in the journal Science and was led by Daniel Jost, an associate scientist at SLAC and Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences.