Approximate half-integer quantization in anomalous planar transport in $d$-wave altermagnets

TL;DR

This paper uncovers nearly half-quantized anomalous planar Hall and thermal Hall effects in $d$-wave altermagnets, driven by symmetry breaking and Berry curvature, with potential for experimental observation.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of half-integer quantization in anomalous planar transport phenomena in $d$-wave altermagnets, highlighting their unique topological and symmetry properties.

Findings

Nearly half-quantized anomalous planar Hall effect observed.

Angular dependence follows a cos2φ pattern.

Presence of a plateau in thermal Hall conductivity.

Abstract

We investigate anomalous planar transport phenomena in a recently identified class of collinear magnetic materials known as $d$-wave altermagnets. The anomalous planar effects manifest in a configuration when the applied electric field/temperature gradient, magnetic field, and the measured Hall voltage are all co-planar, but the planar magnetic field is instrumental in breaking $\hat{C}_{4z}\hat{\mathcal{T}}$ symmetry of the $d$-wave altermagnet, where $\hat{\mathcal{T}}$ is the time reversal operator, resulting in a Zeeman gap at a shifted Dirac node and a nonzero Berry curvature monopole. We demonstrate that these systems exhibit nearly half-quantized anomalous planar Hall and planar thermal Hall effects at low temperatures that persist over a range of magnetic fields. The angular dependence of the planar transport reveals a $\cos2\phi$ dependence on the magnetic field direction, where $\phi$ is the azimuthal angle made by the magnetic field. We also discuss the anomalous planar Nernst effect, or transverse thermopower, and demonstrate that the Nernst conductivity peaks when the chemical potential lies just outside the induced Zeeman gap and vanishes within the gap. We further explore the dependence of all three coefficients on the polar and the azimuthal angle of the magnetic field when it is rotated in the full $3D$ space. Our results reveal the presence of approximately half-quantized anomalous planar thermal Hall plateau for a range of in-plane magnetic fields without requiring topological superconductivity and conducting Majorana modes, and can be probed in experiments in $d$-wave altermagnets.