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Large Spontaneous Nonreciprocal Charge Transport in a Zero-Magnetization Antiferromagnet

Kenta Sudo1,*,†, Yuki Yanagi2, Mitsuru Akaki1, Hiroshi Tanida2, and Motoi Kimata1,3,‡

  • *Present address: Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8581, Japan.
  • †Contact author: ksudo@issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp
  • ‡Contact author: kimata.motoi@jaea.go.jp

Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 016503 – Published 5 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/13pd-tlzp

Abstract

Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal and spatial-inversion symmetries in solids triggers diverse intriguing phenomena. Although these phenomena have been extensively studied in insulators, similar investigations for metals remain limited. Herein, we report the observation and properties of spontaneous (i.e., zero-magnetic field) nonreciprocal charge transport in the zigzag intermetallic compound NdRu2Al10. This effect is attributed to the antiferromagnetic order, which can be interpreted as a magnetic toroidal dipole order. Our results reveal an excessively large nonreciprocal coefficient for this material, attributed to the strong effective magnetic field generated through c−f exchange interactions. The results also suggest that the nonreciprocal response of this material depends on the spin configurations of the antiferromagnetic domains. Overall, our findings are distinct from those previously reported for field-induced nonreciprocal charge transport and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of cross-correlations in symmetry-broken metals.

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Focus

Diode-Like Behavior Arising from Antiferromagnetism

Published 5 January, 2026

An antiferromagnet with a zigzag magnetic structure exhibits a diode effect that has potential applications in spintronics.

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