Scientists recently imaged manganese telluride (MnTe) on the nanoscale, proving their hypotheses about altermagnetism. This type of magnetism has the potential to enhance the performance of a wide range of electronic devices, including supercharging digital memory speeds by up to 1000% and enabling advancements in quantum computing, data storage, and data processing.
Altermagnetism differs from the familiar forms of magnetism, ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. As the magnetic domains in ferromagnetic materials line up in the same direction, they create a magnetic field, making everyday magnets like the ones on your fridge magnetic. Antiferromagnetic materials are comprised of magnetic forces pointing in opposite directions, essentially canceling each other out and eliminating their magnetic fields but remaining magnetic at the atomic level.
Altermagnets combine the best properties of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets for data storage applications: Very strong spin alignment that enables data storage but at a nanoscale level, which can significantly increase storage density. This new combination of magnetic capabilities offers revolutionary potential for advancements in electronic devices.
Additionally, altermagnets have the potential to decrease the electronics industry’s carbon footprint by reducing its reliance on toxic elements.
Learn more about altermagnetism and the recent imaging of MnTe here: https://phys.org/news/2024-02-altermagnetism-magnetism-broad-implications-technology.html
