The odd-parity altermagnetism: A spin group study

Abstract

Following recent intensive studies on altermagnetism(ALM) characterized by non-relativistic even-parity spin splitting, realizing unconventional odd-parity magnetism has also attracted increasing interest. Here, using symmetry arguments based on spin-group analyses, we elucidate sufficient conditions for the emergence of odd-parity spin splitting in collinear antiferromagnetic systems, which is further established as the standard odd-parity ALM. It is derived that the odd-parity ALM arises from the following criteria: (i)the breaking nonmagnetic time reversal symmetry(TRS), i.e., the breaking real-space TRS; (ii)the long-range collinear compensated magnetism; (iii)the symmetry $[C_2||\bar{E}]$ or $[C_2||M]$ connecting opposite-spin sublattices, where $C_2$, $\bar{E}$, and $M$ respectively represent a $180^{\circ }$ rotation around the axis perpendicular to spins, the inversion, and the mirror reflection separating opposite-spin sublattices, directly reflecting the high-order harmonic($l\ge 3$) and the $p$-wave($l=1$) odd-parity ALM, respectively. Moreover, we utilize the well-known Haldane-Hubbard model to identify odd-parity spin splitting in the collinear ALM ground state, where (i)the nonmagnetic TRS is broken by opposite sublattice currents coming from the Haldane hopping; (ii)the symmetry $[C_2||\bar{E}]$ is ensured because the currents flowing on opposite-spin sublattices are reversed.

8 pages, 3 figures