Observation of Altermagnetic Order Switching in Bulk MnTe by Polarized Neutron Diffraction
Abstract
Altermagnetic order, characterized by the Néel vector, breaks time-reversal symmetry (TRS) even in the nonrelativistic limit. Although spin-polarized and anomalous transport phenomena emerge with this order, they are mutually compensated by TRS-connected antiphase domains with opposite Néel vectors. Here we employ polarized neutron diffraction to directly probe the altermagnetic order in MnTe. Pronounced nuclear-magnetic interference terms were observed, providing direct evidence of a net Néel vector in the bulk crystal. Moreover, a weak ferromagnetic moment (WFM), originating from relativistic spin-orbit coupling, was found to be coupled with the altermagnetic order. Both the altermagnetic order and the WFM can be switched by milli-Tesla-scale magnetic field cooling.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Topological Materials and Phenomena
2D Materials and Applications
Chemical and Physical Properties of Materials
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 136
- Issue
- 25
- Pages
- 256704–256704
- Publication date
- 23 June 2026
- Language
- EN