Interplay of altermagnetism and pressure in hexagonal and orthorhombic MnTe

TL;DR

This study investigates how pressure influences altermagnetic properties and anomalous Hall effect in hexagonal and orthorhombic MnTe using first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis.

Contribution

It reveals pressure as an effective tuning parameter for altermagnetism and identifies a new orthorhombic phase with altermagnetic traits in MnTe.

Findings

Pressure significantly tunes the anomalous Hall effect in hexagonal MnTe.

Orthorhombic γ-MnTe exhibits altermagnetic characteristics and pressure-dependent spin splitting.

Pressure impacts magnetic properties and spin-splitting in both phases.

Abstract

Alternative magnetic materials or ``altermagnets", characterized by their non-relativistic, momentum-dependent spin-split states, represent a cutting-edge advancement in the field of magnetism, offering promising avenues for spintronic applications. Among these materials, hexagonal MnTe has emerged as a standout material candidate for its substantial spin-splitting. In this study, employing first-principles electronic structure calculations and spin group symmetry analysis, we delve into the interplay of altermagnetism and pressure in two main phases of MnTe. Our relativistic calculations demonstrate the presence of tunable anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in hexagonal MnTe. In addition, our results underscore the pivotal role of pressure as a tuning parameter for the alternative magnetic traits in the system. Furthermore, we identify another phase of MnTe with orthorhombic structure, namely $\gamma$-MnTe, hosting altermagnetic characteristics. We study, in detail, its response in AHE and spin-spliting due to magnetization and pressure variations, respectively. Our study highlights the substantial impact of pressure on the properties of alternative magnetic materials, particularly emphasizing the pronounced tuning effect observed in the hexagonal and orthorhombic MnTe.