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    Symmetry-enforced ferroelectric switching of two-dimensional altermagnetism

    Jiangyu Zhao, Yibo Liu, Guoli Wu, Xinru Li, Ying Dai*, Baibiao Huang, and Yandong Ma†

    • School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Shandanan Street 27, Jinan 250100, China

    • *Contact author: daiy60@sdu.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: yandong.ma@sdu.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. B 114, 214414 – Published 14 October, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ryxh-flnl

    Abstract

    Altermagnetism features strong momentum-dependent spin splitting despite zero net magnetization, offering a transformative platform for next-generation spintronics. However, the nonvolatile and deterministic switching between its two equivalent spin-splitting states remains a fundamental bottleneck. Here, we propose a universal layer-engineering paradigm to achieve symmetry-enforced ferroelectric switching of two-dimensional altermagnetism. By sandwiching a conventional antiferromagnetic monolayer between two identical ferroelectric layers, the out-of-plane polarization cleanly breaks the spatial symmetry to induce robust altermagnetic splitting. Crucially, the global combined parity-time symmetry dictates that reversing the ferroelectric polarization exactly inverts the altermagnetic spin-splitting pattern. We rigorously validate this mechanism in the In2Se3/MnPTe3/In2Se3 trilayer using first-principles calculations. As a direct consequence, the ferroelectrically driven spin-splitting reversal deterministically flips the anomalous Hall effect signal, providing an unambiguous transport fingerprint to electrically distinguish the two altermagnetic states. Unconstrained by the stringent symmetry requirements of intrinsic single-phase materials, our findings establish a versatile physical framework for electrically addressable altermagnetic spintronics.

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