Geometry induced net spin polarization of $d$-wave altermagnets

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Soori, Abhiram
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Soori, Abhiram
author_facet Soori, Abhiram
contents Altermagnets exhibit spin-split electronic bandstructures despite having zero net magnetization, making them attractive for field-free spintronic applications. In this work, we show that a finite rectangular altermagnetic sample can acquire a net spin polarization purely due to its geometry. This effect arises from the interplay between the anisotropic, spin-resolved Fermi contours of an altermagnet, the discrete sampling of momentum space and unequal sample dimensions. By explicitly counting occupied states, we demonstrate that rectangular samples with $L_x \neq L_y$ host a finite spin polarization, which vanishes in the symmetric limit $L_x=L_y$ and in the thermodynamic limit. We further show that this geometry-induced spin polarization can be directly probed in transport measurements. In the tunneling regime, the charge and the spin conductances exhibit characteristic patterns as a function of sample dimensions, faithfully reflecting the underlying spin polarization. In addition, transport across ferromagnet--altermagnet--ferromagnet junctions reveals an asymmetric magnetoresistance with respect to reversal of the Zeeman field, providing an independent transport signature of the finite spin polarization. Our results establish geometry as an effective control parameter for spin polarization in altermagnets and suggest a viable route for exploiting finite-size effects in mesoscopic altermagnetic spintronic devices.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_24287
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Geometry induced net spin polarization of $d$-wave altermagnets
Soori, Abhiram
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
Altermagnets exhibit spin-split electronic bandstructures despite having zero net magnetization, making them attractive for field-free spintronic applications. In this work, we show that a finite rectangular altermagnetic sample can acquire a net spin polarization purely due to its geometry. This effect arises from the interplay between the anisotropic, spin-resolved Fermi contours of an altermagnet, the discrete sampling of momentum space and unequal sample dimensions. By explicitly counting occupied states, we demonstrate that rectangular samples with $L_x \neq L_y$ host a finite spin polarization, which vanishes in the symmetric limit $L_x=L_y$ and in the thermodynamic limit. We further show that this geometry-induced spin polarization can be directly probed in transport measurements. In the tunneling regime, the charge and the spin conductances exhibit characteristic patterns as a function of sample dimensions, faithfully reflecting the underlying spin polarization. In addition, transport across ferromagnet--altermagnet--ferromagnet junctions reveals an asymmetric magnetoresistance with respect to reversal of the Zeeman field, providing an independent transport signature of the finite spin polarization. Our results establish geometry as an effective control parameter for spin polarization in altermagnets and suggest a viable route for exploiting finite-size effects in mesoscopic altermagnetic spintronic devices.
title Geometry induced net spin polarization of $d$-wave altermagnets
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.24287