Magnetic counterparts of unconventional superconductors for spin-conserved and non-dissipative electronics

Introduction

Our recent discovery of altermagnets has opened science and technology opportunities unparalleled in the two conventional classes of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. Moreover, the direct analogy of a d-wave spin-polarization order in altermagnets to the unconventional d-wave superconducting order in cuprates suggests that we now hold a key to a vast uncharted territory of unconventional magnetism.

Project Objectives

In my project, I will identify unconventional forms of magnetism beyond the d-wave cuprate counterparts, including such prominent examples as:

1. Magnetic counterparts of s$^\pm$-wave pnictide superconductors
2. p-wave superfluid He-3

To build a “periodic table” of unconventional even and odd-parity wave magnets, I will develop a generalized symmetry-based methodology, tailored to a variable hierarchy of interactions across this large materials' territory.

Expected Outcomes

With the “periodic table” of unconventional magnetism, I will remove fundamental roadblocks in research and applications of relativistic and topological phases based on conventional magnets:

• The non-conserved spin of relativistic electrons
• The fragility of topological phases with non-dissipative electronic transport

I will demonstrate:

(i) Even-parity-wave magnetism with time-reversal-symmetry breaking in the electronic structure accompanied by a vanishing net magnetization, and with conserved spin of relativistic electrons.

(ii) Odd-parity-wave magnetism with time-reversal-invariant electronic structure, and with a strong exchange spin-splitting counterpart of the conventional weak relativistic spin splitting.

(iii) Robust synergy of unconventional magnetism with topological phases in one common crystal.

Conclusion

Armed with (i-iii), I will show the path to spin-conserved and non-dissipative electronic transport at ambient conditions using the unconventional magnets. This can pave the way for future ultra temporally and spatially scalable and energy-efficient spin-based electronics.