Physicists at Rice University, together with the University of Minnesota and Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institute, have detected an exotic form of magnetism in a film of ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂) only a few atomic layers thick: so-called altermagnetism. The finding, published on 27 August 2026 in the journal Science Advances, could eventually pave the way toward far more energy-efficient electronics.
What makes altermagnetism special
Altermagnets combine traits of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. Their net magnetization is essentially zero, making them hard to disturb – yet they still treat the spin orientation of electrons in a direction-dependent way. That is precisely what makes them attractive for spintronics, which processes information via electron spin rather than electric charge, promising faster and more frugal components than conventional semiconductor chips.
Mechanical strain as a switch
In bulk form, RuO₂ is considered non-magnetic. Only when the team led by Ming Yi (with first author Yichen Zhang) grew the oxide into an ultrathin film and strained it epitaxially did direct measurements of the spin texture reveal the tell-tale patterns. Without lattice strain the effect vanished. That strain could therefore act as a “dial” to switch the magnetism on and off deliberately – an appealing route toward low-power memory and logic devices.
Still fundamental research
Context matters: this is a laboratory measurement on specially prepared thin films. Whether RuO₂ is truly an altermagnet has been debated in the field for years. The new work provides solid evidence but not the final word. Market-ready chips or memory remain a long way off – yet the study shows that a promising quantum state can be produced through a well-controllable parameter.
Sources: Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec2917), ScienceDaily, The Brighter Side of News.
