Synthetic Altermagnets

TL;DR

This paper introduces synthetic altermagnets, engineered from ferromagnetic layers, to emulate the properties of natural altermagnagnets, revealing their electronic and magnetic behaviors with potential applications in advanced spintronic devices.

Contribution

It proposes a minimal model for synthetic altermagnets, exploring their electronic structure and physical phenomena, thus enabling experimental realization and application in magneto-electronics.

Findings

Synthetic altermagnets exhibit zero net magnetization with unique electronic properties.

The model shows anisotropic coupling and spin-orbit effects influence their behavior.

Potential for applications in spintronics and magneto-optics is demonstrated.

Abstract

Altermagnets, a distinct class of antiferromagnets with electronic structures resembling those of d-wave superconductors, exhibit intriguing properties that have gained significant attention in recent research. In this article, we propose synthetic altermagnets, composed of two anisotropic ferromagnetic layers arranged such that the total net magnetization is zero. We investigate the properties of these synthetic altermagnets, focusing on their electronic band structures, spin current, Berry curvature, and anomalous Hall conductivity. By developing a minimal model for our synthetic altermagnets, we examine the influence of factors such as anisotropic coupling strengths and spin-orbit coupling on the physical phenomena altermagnets manifest. Our findings open a new path for the realization of altermagnetic materials experimentally and highlight their potential applications in magneto-electronics, magneto-optics, and spintronics devices.