Deterministic switching in altermagnets via asymmetric sublattice spin current
Phys. Rev. B 113, 155430 – Published 16 April, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kzcp-wcj6
Abstract
We demonstrate a deterministic switching mechanism in collinear altermagnets driven by asymmetric sublattice spin currents. Unlike conventional antiferromagnets, where combined parity-time reversal symmetry enforces purely staggered sublattice spin torques, altermagnets host symmetry-protected nonrelativistic spin splitting that produces unequal torques on the two sublattices. Using doped as a representative -wave altermagnet, our Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations show that these torques enable magnetic field-free and deterministic Néel vector reversal over picosecond timescale. The mechanism is generic to even-parity altermagnets and remains effective even in centrosymmetric, weak spin-orbit coupled altermagnets, where the Néel spin-orbit torque mechanism fails. Our results establish an experimentally accessible mechanism for switching of altermagnetic order, opening pathways for realizing ultrafast, low-power altermagnet spintronic devices.