Science· 2026Q1
Altermagnetism revealed by polarized neutrons in MnF 2
- 8citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Polarized neutron scattering reveals MnF 2 is an altermagnet, characterized by a nonzero chirality in its scattering cross-section that reverses between magnon modes.
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Key points
- Polarized INS data on MnF 2 demonstrate it is an altermagnet.
- Magnon band splitting is observed, attributed to long-range dipolar coupling.
- A nonzero chirality in the neutron scattering cross-section, reversing sign between magnon modes, is the key evidence for altermagnetism.
- Polarized INS is highlighted as a sensitive tool for characterizing altermagnets.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Altermagnets are compensated magnets with symmetry-enforced spin split bands. Direct spectroscopic evidence for their existence has been reported in several materials. For example, inelastic neutron scattering (INS) has recently been used to witness a splitting of magnon bands in MnTe that is compatible with altermagnetism. Here, we present polarized INS results on MnF 2 showing that it is altermagnetic. Our data reveal a splitting coming from the long-range dipolar coupling. Furthermore, using a domain-biased sample, the data reveal a nonzero chirality in the neutron scattering cross section that reverses the sign between the two magnon modes. It is this feature that clearly demonstrates altermagnetism in MnF 2 . This finding highlights the potential for polarized INS to characterize altermagnets through its sensitivity to fine structure in magnon spectra.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Science, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed Matter PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy