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Main Authors: Zhang, Wancheng, Zhang, Zhenhua, Xiong, Rui, Lu, Zhihong
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21779
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author Zhang, Wancheng
Zhang, Zhenhua
Xiong, Rui
Lu, Zhihong
author_facet Zhang, Wancheng
Zhang, Zhenhua
Xiong, Rui
Lu, Zhihong
contents $d$-wave altermagnets possess nearly orthogonal flat Fermi surfaces, which in an idealized limit enable complete spin-channel separation and a theoretical charge-to-spin conversion efficiency (CSE) of 100%. The recently discovered metallic altermagnet $\mathrm{KV_2Se_2O}$ exemplifies this class, yet realistic samples host residual elliptical Fermi pockets that enhance charge conductivity while suppressing spin conductivity, drastically reducing the CSE. Here we show that in-plane equibiaxial tensile strain systematically eliminates these parasitic pockets, restoring the flat-band geometry. Our first-principles calculations reveal that the CSE increases monotonically with strain, reaching a record value of approximately 96% at 4% strain. An effective tight-binding model fitted to the computed band structure accurately captures the evolution of the Fermi surface and confirms that the suppression of the pockets -- governed by reduced next-nearest-neighbor hoppings -- is the dominant mechanism for the strain-enhanced CSE. We further identify an unconventional out-of-plane spin current component that emerges under tilted electric fields and achieves a CSE of nearly 55% at optimal orientations, offering a promising pathway for field-free perpendicular magnetization switching. Our findings establish strain engineering as a practical route to approach the ultimate conversion limit in $d$-wave altermagnets and provide a design principle for high-efficiency spintronic devices.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_21779
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Nearly Complete Charge--Spin Conversion via Strain-Eliminated Fermi Pockets in $d$-Wave Altermagnets
Zhang, Wancheng
Zhang, Zhenhua
Xiong, Rui
Lu, Zhihong
Materials Science
Computational Physics
$d$-wave altermagnets possess nearly orthogonal flat Fermi surfaces, which in an idealized limit enable complete spin-channel separation and a theoretical charge-to-spin conversion efficiency (CSE) of 100%. The recently discovered metallic altermagnet $\mathrm{KV_2Se_2O}$ exemplifies this class, yet realistic samples host residual elliptical Fermi pockets that enhance charge conductivity while suppressing spin conductivity, drastically reducing the CSE. Here we show that in-plane equibiaxial tensile strain systematically eliminates these parasitic pockets, restoring the flat-band geometry. Our first-principles calculations reveal that the CSE increases monotonically with strain, reaching a record value of approximately 96% at 4% strain. An effective tight-binding model fitted to the computed band structure accurately captures the evolution of the Fermi surface and confirms that the suppression of the pockets -- governed by reduced next-nearest-neighbor hoppings -- is the dominant mechanism for the strain-enhanced CSE. We further identify an unconventional out-of-plane spin current component that emerges under tilted electric fields and achieves a CSE of nearly 55% at optimal orientations, offering a promising pathway for field-free perpendicular magnetization switching. Our findings establish strain engineering as a practical route to approach the ultimate conversion limit in $d$-wave altermagnets and provide a design principle for high-efficiency spintronic devices.
title Nearly Complete Charge--Spin Conversion via Strain-Eliminated Fermi Pockets in $d$-Wave Altermagnets
topic Materials Science
Computational Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21779