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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.16361 |
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Table of Contents:
- Recently, rutile RuO$_2$ has attracted renewed interest due to expectations of prominent altermagnetic spin-splitting. However, accumulating experimental evidence suggests that in its bulk and thick-film forms, RuO$_2$ does not display any form of magnetic ordering. Despite this, the spin structure of RuO$_2$ remains largely unexplored in the ultra-thin limit, where substrate-imposed epitaxial strain can be substantial. Here, we employ spin-resolved angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, supported by ab-initio calculations, to reveal the electronic structure of 2.7~nm-thick epitaxial RuO$_2$ heterostructures. We observe an unconventional spin texture characterized by the coexistence of mirror-even and mirror-odd momentum-dependent components. A comprehensive symmetry analysis rules out nonmagnetic origins of this spin texture. These findings suggest an emergent non-relativistic spin structure enabled by epitaxial strain in the ultra-thin limit, marking a distinct departure from the behavior of relaxed or bulk RuO$_2$. Our work opens new perspectives for exploring symmetry-breaking mechanisms and spin textures in oxide heterostructures.