Observation of spin-splitting torque in altermagnets CrSb

Observation of spin-splitting torque in altermagnets CrSb | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Observation of spin-splitting torque in altermagnets CrSb Cheng Song, Ruiyue Chu, Xingkai Cheng, Xizhi Fu, Lei Han, Shixuan Liang, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8852675/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Altermagnets can enable the unique nonrelativistic noncollinear spin current via spin splitting bands. However, this requires specific crystal symmetry paired spin-momentum locking, which is exclusively satisfied in d-wave but not g-wave altermagnets, significantly limiting the material candidate for efficient spin sources. In this work, we employ strain engineering to design the required crystal symmetry for symmetry-controlled spin current generation in g-wave altermagnets and experimentally realize it in chromium antimonide (CrSb). In pristine g-wave CrSb, the net spin current is cancelled by C_3-paired spin textures and hence the breaking C_3 symmetry can effectively transform pristine g-wave CrSb into a d-wave-like state. In this state, the alternating spin splitting bands emerge within the spin splitting plane defined by two main axes, [0001] and [101 ̅0] directions, enabling efficient interconversion between charge and spin currents along these axes. By resolving all three spin polarization components of the current-induced spin current and varying the current directions relative to the crystal orientations, we demonstrate the emergence of spin current in the spin splitting plane, with the spin polarization aligned with the Néel vector. Our findings establish strain as a powerful tool for symmetry engineering and spin current generation beyond d-wave systems, laying the groundwork for g-wave altermagnets as efficient spin sources and spin detectors. Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Spintronics Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Magnetic properties and materials Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files ChuNMSupplementaryMater.pdf Supplementary Materials Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8852675","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":590085848,"identity":"cfe3c38c-fbc5-433c-ad35-f7f273fad705","order_by":0,"name":"Cheng Song","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7651-9031","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Cheng","middleName":"","lastName":"Song","suffix":""},{"id":590085849,"identity":"ddcdbd92-4571-40c3-8ae6-e2ab3d75511b","order_by":1,"name":"Ruiyue Chu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ruiyue","middleName":"","lastName":"Chu","suffix":""},{"id":590085850,"identity":"85dd9cd4-e4c0-47b0-b672-9d2b0c104f9d","order_by":2,"name":"Xingkai Cheng","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6889-611X","institution":"DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xingkai","middleName":"","lastName":"Cheng","suffix":""},{"id":590085851,"identity":"e97befc4-39b7-44bb-98c3-5f3fee904c10","order_by":3,"name":"Xizhi Fu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xizhi","middleName":"","lastName":"Fu","suffix":""},{"id":590085852,"identity":"579cddce-a58a-41eb-b8d0-f2d8f42b8195","order_by":4,"name":"Lei Han","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lei","middleName":"","lastName":"Han","suffix":""},{"id":590085853,"identity":"c3efbf17-c061-4590-8a39-d6cdb7fc75ad","order_by":5,"name":"Shixuan Liang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shixuan","middleName":"","lastName":"Liang","suffix":""},{"id":590085854,"identity":"c190efc0-6070-4cb4-8384-ab2c1b633cb9","order_by":6,"name":"Yichen Su","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yichen","middleName":"","lastName":"Su","suffix":""},{"id":590085855,"identity":"dd711298-dd3e-4908-813f-3f413c765ffe","order_by":7,"name":"Jiankun Dai","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jiankun","middleName":"","lastName":"Dai","suffix":""},{"id":590085856,"identity":"95b41e6a-d9de-450f-b6a7-a29fe68689a4","order_by":8,"name":"Yanzhang Cao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanzhang","middleName":"","lastName":"Cao","suffix":""},{"id":590085857,"identity":"b52b9a90-917b-45cb-a2d4-83a43b466c6b","order_by":9,"name":"Weiqi Du","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Weiqi","middleName":"","lastName":"Du","suffix":""},{"id":590085858,"identity":"ba931b77-22bb-4741-b196-f04da8598dd0","order_by":10,"name":"Feng Pan","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3788-7894","institution":"Tsinghua University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Feng","middleName":"","lastName":"Pan","suffix":""},{"id":590085859,"identity":"b1bb4b1e-8b9b-4339-b319-e21225ea4708","order_by":11,"name":"Junwei Liu","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8051-7349","institution":"Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Junwei","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-11 14:11:37","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8852675/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8852675/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102963223,"identity":"a1b8a5e8-b46d-459f-b762-c6acaba56ba2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-19 04:14:34","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":883483,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"ChuNMmanuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8852675/v1_covered_f8ee4798-aa01-4be4-874a-12a3d733591e.pdf"},{"id":102886762,"identity":"a63d8aba-2560-4856-b4e4-9117cd563162","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-18 03:02:05","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":1463224,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Materials","description":"","filename":"ChuNMSupplementaryMater.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8852675/v1/0180009b6ea7b96dd1366ecd.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Observation of spin-splitting torque in altermagnets CrSb","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8852675/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8852675/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Altermagnets can enable the unique nonrelativistic noncollinear spin current via spin splitting bands. However, this requires specific crystal symmetry paired spin-momentum locking, which is exclusively satisfied in d-wave but not g-wave altermagnets, significantly limiting the material candidate for efficient spin sources. In this work, we employ strain engineering to design the required crystal symmetry for symmetry-controlled spin current generation in g-wave altermagnets and experimentally realize it in chromium antimonide (CrSb). In pristine g-wave CrSb, the net spin current is cancelled by C_3-paired spin textures and hence the breaking C_3 symmetry can effectively transform pristine g-wave CrSb into a d-wave-like state. In this state, the alternating spin splitting bands emerge within the spin splitting plane defined by two main axes, [0001] and [101 ̅0] directions, enabling efficient interconversion between charge and spin currents along these axes. By resolving all three spin polarization components of the current-induced spin current and varying the current directions relative to the crystal orientations, we demonstrate the emergence of spin current in the spin splitting plane, with the spin polarization aligned with the Néel vector. Our findings establish strain as a powerful tool for symmetry engineering and spin current generation beyond d-wave systems, laying the groundwork for g-wave altermagnets as efficient spin sources and spin detectors.","manuscriptTitle":"Observation of spin-splitting torque in altermagnets CrSb","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-18 03:02:01","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8852675/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-materials","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"nmat","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Materials](http://www.nature.com/nmat/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Materials","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Research","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"57ed2931-06c2-4ba7-8851-428f2ab6727d","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 18th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":62788274,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Spintronics"},{"id":62788275,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Magnetic properties and materials"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-18T18:06:25+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-18 03:02:01","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8852675","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8852675","identity":"rs-8852675","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}