Altermagnetic variants in thin films of Mn5Si3

The altermagnet candidate Mn5Si3 has attracted wide attention in the context of nonrelativistic spin physics, due to its composition of light elements. In this study, we demonstrate a hallmark of altermagnetism in Mn5Si3 thin films, namely the three options, or variants, for the checkerboard distribution of the magnetic Mn atoms. The magnetic symmetries were altered by field-rotation of the Néel vector along relevant crystal directions, resulting in anomalous Hall effect anisotropy. The experimental results in nanoscale devices were corroborated by a theoretical model involving atomic site dependent anisotropy and bulk Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction for a single variant. These findings elevate Mn5Si3 from a candidate to a proven altermagnet. locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)Anisotropic magnetoresistanceAltermagnets