Until now, it was just another theory within the field of material physics, but now scientists have discovered something none of them expected: they have achieved the first stable 2D altermagnet. And at room temperature. An international team of physicists, led by Junwei Liu from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has confirmed that they have (experimentally) created one of these magnets. Yes, you read that right: a real, stable, 2D altermagnet without the need for refrigeration or external magnetic fields. If you don’t know what a 2D altermagnet is, you should stay and read this article.
What is an altermagnet?
We are talking about a type of material with a different behaviour, it does not fit into what we know as ferromagnetism (or antiferromagnetism). And it is very peculiar because it allows the separation of electron spin depending on their momentum, without magnetic fields or the famous spin-orbit coupling, which greatly simplifies its control.
The spin-valley locking
The jewel of this discovered material, Rb₁–δV₂Te₂O, lies in how its crystalline structure generates something called C-paired spin-valley locking (SVL).
Translated into human language: thanks to some very particular symmetries within the material, a kind of natural locking between the spin of the electrons and the electronic valleys is achieved. This allows maintaining pure, stable spin currents and, most importantly, without the need to spend extra energy on refrigeration or external magnets.
But why is it so important?
Because, although there were several candidates on the table (like α-MnTe, CrSb, MnTe₂, or RuO₂), they all fell short, they did not have the necessary 2D structure, their properties only appeared at very low temperatures, or they simply did not meet the required symmetries.
What changes with Rb₁–δV₂Te₂O
This material is indeed two-dimensional, it does present observable spin-splitting, and it does work at room temperature.
Everything that was previously impossible to believe in simulations has now been demonstrated in the laboratory, with techniques such as Spin-ARPES and STM/STS, which confirm without doubts that we are facing the first realistic platform of this material.
In other words, this material works in very thin layers, like graphene, and can order the spin of electrons, thanks to its special internal structure. This opens the door to creating computer chips that use less energy, are faster, and do not overheat as much.
Spintronics, valleytronics, and beyond
This finding not only revolutionizes spintronics. It also opens doors in valleytronics, another emerging technology that seeks to use electronic valleys as quantum bits to store and process data.
Now, thanks to this material, spin and valley can be controlled at the same time, something that until recently only existed on theoretical physicists’ blackboards.
Faster, denser, and more efficient devices
With this advance on the table, possibilities open up for:
- Faster hard drives and more stable quantum computers.
- Ultraprecise magnetic sensors.
- All in ultrathin, flexible formats with minimal energy consumption.
The 2D altermagnet revolution is already underway
This discovery is not just an academic achievement. It marks a before and after in how we understand and apply magnetism in future technologies. We are at the same point where semiconductors were when the digital revolution began: the foundations are already laid, and what comes next could change everything. The future of spintronics, and perhaps computing, starts here. And it is 2D. And it is altermagnetic.