Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have found that applying a small amount of pressure can change the magnetic and electrical behavior of altermagnets, a class of materials being studied for future electronic technologies. The results were reported in studies published in Physical Review X and Advanced Materials.
The team placed tiny crystals of manganese telluride and iron sulfide between titanium plates and gently compressed them. Neutron diffraction experiments at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source showed that the strain shifted the relative populations of magnetic domains—regions with distinct magnetic arrangements. The researchers also observed changes in the materials’ anomalous Hall effect, indicating that the squeeze affected their electrical behavior.
The findings could help researchers explore ways to control altermagnets for spintronics, which uses electron spin as well as electrical charge to process and store information. Potential areas of interest include wireless communication and quantum computing, although the studies do not establish specific applications.
“By controlling the magnetic domains, we can directly influence the transport behavior,” said Pengcheng Dai of Rice University, a former neutron scientist at ORNL. Co-author Feng Ye, an ORNL neutron scientist, said neutron scattering helped reveal how the mechanical strain changed the materials’ magnetism.
Sources: ScienceDaily.