English

Atom-selective spin-polarized transport in a charge-ordered altermagnet

Materials Science 2026-07-01 v1 Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Abstract

Altermagnets provide a promising platform for spin-polarized transport without net magnetization, but their transport properties are usually discussed in terms of momentum-space spin splitting. Here, using first-principles calculations and quantum transport simulations, we show that the charge-ordered altermagnet α\alpha-Fe2_2PO5_5 exhibits a distinct form of real-space spin selectivity despite weak altermagnetic spin splitting near the Fermi level. The charge order creates inequivalent Fe2+^{2+} and Fe3+^{3+} sites within each sublattice, while the puckered C-type antiferromagnetic stacking suppresses inter-sublattice transport. As a result, electron and hole doping activate spin-polarized transport predominantly through Fe3+^{3+}- and Fe2+^{2+}-based channels, respectively. These atom-selective channels carry opposite spin polarizations on the two antiferromagnetic sublattices, giving rise to a globally compensated charge current with hidden N\'eel spin character. We further propose an all-in-one α\alpha-Fe2_2PO5_5 tunnel junction, where matching or mismatching atom-selective conduction channels yields orders-of-magnitude conductance modulation. Our findings establish a real-space design principle for atomically controlled spin functionality and spintronic devices.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.00506,
  title  = {Atom-selective spin-polarized transport in a charge-ordered altermagnet},
  author = {Liu Yang and Yuan-Yuan Jiang and Xiao-Yan Guo and Yi-Dong Liu and Xian-Zhe Chen and Wen-Jian Lu and Yu-Ping Sun and Ming Li and Ding-Fu Shao},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.00506},
  year   = {2026}
}