Relativistic spin-momentum locking in ferromagnets

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Gong, Xujia, Fakhredine, Amar, Autieri, Carmine
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Gong, Xujia
Fakhredine, Amar
Autieri, Carmine
author_facet Gong, Xujia
Fakhredine, Amar
Autieri, Carmine
contents The relativistic spin-momentum locking has been proven in time-reversal-breaking classes of materials with zero net magnetization in the non-relativistic limit, such as altermagnets and other non-collinear magnets. Using density functional theory calculations, we aim to show relativistic spin-momentum locking in ferromagnets, focusing on a broad class of ferromagnetic materials with magnetic sites connected by rotational symmetry, and compare with fcc Ni. In SrRuO3, the antisymmetric exchange interaction produces a spin canting orthogonal to the easy axis, while in all other cases, spin canting is forbidden. Even when the canted magnetic moment in real space is forbidden, relativistic spin-momentum locking shows sizable contributions in k-space. Using prototypical ferromagnets such as orthorhombic SrRuO3, hexagonal CrTe and CrAs with the NiAs crystal structure, half-Heusler MnPtSb, and fcc Ni, we demonstrate that relativistic spin-momentum locking can generate strong effects in ferromagnets. Subdominant components of centrosymmetric ferro-magnetic materials with magnetic sites connected by rotational symmetry host spin-momentum locking similar to altermagnets, while noncentrosymmetric MnPtSb hosts relativistic p-wave due to the spin-orbit coupling. Fcc Ni shows a more complex behavior with a combination of two spin-momentum locking patterns characteristic of altermagnets. Because ferromagnets typically have larger bandwidths than altermagnets, they provide a promising platform for observing even-wave relativistic spin-momentum locking and associated emergent phenomena. From an application standpoint, relativistic spin-momentum locking governs symmetry-allowed spin Hall currents, spin photocurrents, and other momentum-dependent spin responses in k-space.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_13768
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Relativistic spin-momentum locking in ferromagnets
Gong, Xujia
Fakhredine, Amar
Autieri, Carmine
Materials Science
Strongly Correlated Electrons
The relativistic spin-momentum locking has been proven in time-reversal-breaking classes of materials with zero net magnetization in the non-relativistic limit, such as altermagnets and other non-collinear magnets. Using density functional theory calculations, we aim to show relativistic spin-momentum locking in ferromagnets, focusing on a broad class of ferromagnetic materials with magnetic sites connected by rotational symmetry, and compare with fcc Ni. In SrRuO3, the antisymmetric exchange interaction produces a spin canting orthogonal to the easy axis, while in all other cases, spin canting is forbidden. Even when the canted magnetic moment in real space is forbidden, relativistic spin-momentum locking shows sizable contributions in k-space. Using prototypical ferromagnets such as orthorhombic SrRuO3, hexagonal CrTe and CrAs with the NiAs crystal structure, half-Heusler MnPtSb, and fcc Ni, we demonstrate that relativistic spin-momentum locking can generate strong effects in ferromagnets. Subdominant components of centrosymmetric ferro-magnetic materials with magnetic sites connected by rotational symmetry host spin-momentum locking similar to altermagnets, while noncentrosymmetric MnPtSb hosts relativistic p-wave due to the spin-orbit coupling. Fcc Ni shows a more complex behavior with a combination of two spin-momentum locking patterns characteristic of altermagnets. Because ferromagnets typically have larger bandwidths than altermagnets, they provide a promising platform for observing even-wave relativistic spin-momentum locking and associated emergent phenomena. From an application standpoint, relativistic spin-momentum locking governs symmetry-allowed spin Hall currents, spin photocurrents, and other momentum-dependent spin responses in k-space.
title Relativistic spin-momentum locking in ferromagnets
topic Materials Science
Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.13768