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  • Featured in Physics
  • Open Access

Circular Dichroism in Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering: Probing Altermagnetic Domains in MnTe

D. Takegami1, T. Aoyama2, T. Okauchi3, T. Yamaguchi3, S. Tippireddy4, S. Agrestini4, M. García-Fernández4, T. Mizokawa1, K. Ohgushi2 et al.

Ke-Jin Zhou4, J. Chaloupka5, J. Kuneš5,6,*, A. Hariki3,†, and H. Suzuki7,8,‡

  • 1Department of Applied Physics, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
  • 2Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
  • 3Department of Physics and Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Nakaku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
  • 4Diamond Light Source, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
  • 5Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic
  • 6Institute for Solid State Physics, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria
  • 7Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
  • 8Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

  • *Contact author: kunes@physics.muni.cz
  • †Contact author: hariki@omu.ac.jp
  • ‡Contact author: hakuto.suzuki@tohoku.ac.jp
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 196502 – Published 6 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/512v-n5f9

Abstract

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism provides a means to identify ferromagnetic, chiral, and altermagnetic orders via their time-reversal-symmetry (T) breaking. However, the symmetry properties that govern circular dichroism (CD) in resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) remain poorly understood. We show that, due to the inherent irreversibility of the RIXS process, RIXS-CD does not require T breaking to be present, but reflects the change in unitary symmetries associated with magnetic ordering. Using the altermagnetic MnTe as a model system, we observe an azimuthal-angle dependent RIXS-CD signal in the magnon excitations. Our findings highlight the sensitivity of RIXS-CD to the relativistic symmetry in magnetic systems and its potential application as a probe of magnetic domains.

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Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Corrections

17 December, 2025

Correction: In the equation for the Kramers-Heisenberg formula for the RIXS cross section, a misplaced superscript has been fixed. A support statement has been added to the Acknowledgments section.

synopsis

Mapping Altermagnetic Domains

Published 6 November, 2025

Two new techniques use circularly polarized x rays to characterize a new and potentially useful form of magnetism.

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Supplemental Material

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 196502– Published 6 November, 2025
  • Received 16 February 2025
  • Accepted 10 September 2025
  • Corrected 17 December 2025
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