Project Manager

Quintin Meier, CNRS Researcher at Institut Néel

The MALT project (Design and Control of Altermagnetic Materials) aims to study a specific subset of altermagnets: materials that undergo displacive structural phase transitions which break symmetry, shifting from a non-altermagnetic state to an altermagnetic one. By controlling these structural distortions, it becomes possible to directly influence the altermagnetic properties.

Challenges

> Analyze the symmetry properties of various distortions and their implications for altermagnetic spin splitting, enabling the classification of materials based on symmetry consideration

> Use ab initio methods to study altermagnetic spin splitting in candidate materials.

> Explore strategies to control the order parameters governing structural transitions, in order to enable precise modulation of the altermagnetic state

Positioning the Project with the PEPR

The MALT project, focused on a new class of antiferromagnetic materials, addresses fundamental theoretical questions while fostering synergies between theory and experimentation, aligning it with the goals of TP3: SPINTHEORY.
Moreover, the altermagnetic properties studied in MALT are relevant for spintronic applications, establishing a direct connection with TP1: SPINMAT.
The project also allows the coordinator to strengthen their expertise in ab initio calculations, phase transition physics, and multiferroic materials, applied here to the emerging context of altermagnetism.