Quasiparticle interference in altermagnets

TL;DR

This paper investigates quasiparticle interference patterns in altermagnets, revealing distinctive signatures that can help characterize their unique Fermi surfaces and aid experimental identification.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of QPI effects in altermagnets considering impurities, Zeeman splitting, and spin-orbit coupling, introducing new signatures for experimental detection.

Findings

Identified unique QPI signatures for altermagnetic Fermi surfaces

Analyzed effects of impurities, Zeeman splitting, and spin-orbit coupling

Provided guidance for spin-resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments

Abstract

A novel collinear magnetic phase, termed ``altermagnetism,'' has recently been uncovered, characterized by zero net magnetization and momentum-dependent collinear spin-splitting. To understand the intriguing physical effects of altermagnets and explore their potential applications, it is crucial to analyze both the geometric and spin configurations of altermagnetic Fermi surfaces. Here, we conduct a comprehensive study of the quasiparticle interference (QPI) effects induced by both nonmagnetic and magnetic impurities in metallic altermagnets, incorporating the influence of Zeeman splitting and spin-orbit coupling. By examining the QPI patterns for various spin polarizations of magnetic impurities and different spin-probe channels, we identify a series of distinctive signatures that can be used to characterize altermagnetic Fermi surfaces. These predicted signatures can be directly compared with experimental results obtained through spin-resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy.