The limits of how we view and manage magnetic behavior in tiny structures are key to developing future technologies, especially in electronic products that use particle rotation, which are attributes related to quantum mechanics that affect magnetic behavior. This new study focuses on magnetic properties called Altermignetism, a recently identified type of magnetic that does not behave like conventional magnets. Unlike ordinary magnets, Altermignet does not generate a total magnetic field, but still acts in a way that breaks the usual rules of time symmetry. This means that if the time direction is reversed, their internal properties will change. This rare feature allows for new uses that are important to avoid magnetic interference in electronic devices. Previously, scientists could only detect these behaviors by averaging signals over large areas. Now, for the first time, they managed to see and influence them on a very small scale.
Leading the work, researchers Dr. Oliver Amin, Professor Peter Wadley and his team from the University of Nottingham worked with partners around the world to show how these magnetic patterns emerged in a material called Manganese Telluride, a crystal made of manganese and Taser’s type atoms. Their works appear in nature. They used special types of X-ray techniques that respond differently to magnetic directions, called magnetic circle dichroism and magnetic linear dichroism. These techniques depend on the polarization of light, highlighting different magnetic behaviors. By combining these methods with powerful microscopes, they create colorful maps showing how to arrange the internal magnetic orientation. These images reveal rotation mode, boundaries between different regions and smooth areas where everything points in the same direction.
Dr. Amin and Professor Wadley studied the films of manganese urate and found many types of magnetic patterns. They were able to shape these patterns by cutting the material into small shapes and adjusting the temperature when applying the magnetic field. In tiny hexagons and triangles, they create naturally formed rotating patterns and paired swirls. These modes have no magnetic pull from the outside, demonstrating their special properties and practicality in devices where magnet interference must be avoided.
A particularly useful result is the ability to select the way the internal direction is pointed by cooling the material in a light magnetic field. This makes them form smooth, stable areas, about the human hair. In one example, the hexagonal shape can change its mode according to the direction of the field used during cooling. Being able to do this shows useful Altermignetic material for memory or computer equipment that can be adjusted as needed.
“We directly determined the order vectors described the direction and properties of the internal magnetic structure, causing clockwise rotation to rotate 360 degrees around the first vortex nanotexture,” explains Dr. Amin. In another example, Professor Wardley noted, “A pair of anti-Vortex pairs are then needed to form at the center of the hexagon to resolve the total winding angle of the order vector to 720 degrees.” These findings mark the first clear, detailed directional visualization of the Altermagnetic texture.
Observing and adjusting these special magnetic patterns is not only important for physics. The team notes that these patterns are stable and can function quickly and efficiently, which makes them hopefully inspired in future computer memory and inspiration from how the brain works, called neuromorphic computing. Because Altermignets can also use materials that do not conduct electricity, such as insulators, or with materials that have abnormal flow of electrons, such as topological materials, they may be well suited for new types of electronic devices.
This study lays the foundation for a solid foundation and provides more research on this anomaly type of magnetism. It also shows how useful it is to combine powerful imaging tools with tiny fabricated structures and simple magnetic fields. As interest in finding new types of magnetic behaviors increasingly avoids traditional magnet problems, this work highlights the possibilities of science and technology.
Journal Reference
Amin OJ, Dal Din A., Golias E. et al. “Nanoscale imaging and control of altermagnetism in MNTE.” Nature, 2024; 636:348-353. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08234-x
About the Author
Dr. Oliver Armin He is a physicist specializing in magnetic and nanoscale materials. He is located at the University of Nottingham and focuses on exploring emerging magnetic states in crystals and thin films. His research combines state-of-the-art imaging tools and nano-technology to study magnetic order on very small scales. As one of the leading researchers on altermagnetism of manganese urate recently, Dr. Amin contributed to promoting our understanding of magnetic behavior that does not follow conventional rules. He is particularly interested in materials that provide new possibilities for fast and efficient computing technologies.
Professor Peter Wardley is a leading expert in the field of magnetic materials and rotation technology at the University of Nottingham. His work focuses on understanding how magnetism runs in materials that lack traditional magnetic fields but still exhibit useful electronic behavior. Professor Wadley has a background in condensed matter physics and has pioneered several technologies to control and visualize nanoscale magnetism. His research aims to bridge basic science by using real-world applications in next-generation electronics.
