Incipient magnetic instability in RuO$_2$ with random phase approximation

TL;DR

This study investigates magnetic instabilities in RuO$_2$ using a Hubbard model and RPA, revealing dominant spin susceptibility and identifying conditions for altermagnetic order.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of magnetic instabilities in RuO$_2$ with a three-orbital Hubbard model, highlighting the emergence of altermagnetic order.

Findings

Spin susceptibility is the dominant response channel.

Commensurate altermagnetic order is the leading instability at low temperatures.

Incommensurate wave vectors appear at higher temperatures or finite doping.

Abstract

We study the instability in RuO$_2$ using the Hartree-Fock approximation followed by the random phase approximation. We employ a three-orbital Hubbard model without spin-orbit coupling. An analysis of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the static susceptibility in the non-magnetic phase for various local interaction parameters $U$, $J_H$, and hole doping $n$ shows that the spin susceptibility is the dominant response channel. In the stoichiometric system without spin-orbit coupling, commensurate altermagnetic order is identified as the leading instability at sufficiently low temperatures, whereas at higher temperatures or finite hole doping, incommensurate wave vectors emerge. To elucidate the origin of the magnetic instability, we analyze the band spitting by the staggered Weiss field and discuss the qualitative difference between altermagnets and antiferromagnets.