Three-dimensional mapping of the altermagnetic spin splitting in CrSb

TL;DR

This study uses advanced spectroscopic techniques and modeling to map and verify large altermagnetic spin splitting in CrSb, revealing its symmetry, nodal planes, and potential for spintronics.

Contribution

It provides the first three-dimensional k-space mapping of altermagnetic splitting in CrSb, confirming its symmetry and origin, and highlights its significance for spintronic applications.

Findings

Large altermagnetic splitting (~1.0 eV) near Fermi level in CrSb

Verification of bulk-type g-wave altermagnetism and nodal planes

Large splitting driven by third-nearest-neighbor hopping mediated by Sb ions

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 TN (up to 705 K) and simple spin configuration, paves the way for exploring emergent phenomena and spintronic applications based on altermagnets.