SLAC Confirms 3rd Magnetic Phase in MnTe, Observing Chirality 4 Years After 2022 Proposal
Updated
Updated · Quantum Zeitgeist · Oct 29
SLAC Confirms 3rd Magnetic Phase in MnTe, Observing Chirality 4 Years After 2022 Proposal
3 articles · Updated · Quantum Zeitgeist · Oct 29
Summary
Science-published results from SLAC provide direct experimental proof that manganese telluride is an altermagnet, establishing altermagnetism as a third recognized magnetic phase beyond ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism.
Polarized X-ray scattering revealed chirality—a spiral-like asymmetry in MnTe’s spin structure—the missing signature researchers needed to distinguish altermagnetism from conventional antiferromagnetism.
MnTe matters because it combines zero net magnetization with the ability to generate spin-polarized currents, potentially offering the stability of antiferromagnets without sacrificing readability and device performance.
Initial experiments were completed in 2024 and repeated in early 2025, a rapid confirmation timeline for a phenomenon first proposed in 2022.
The finding could help identify more altermagnetic materials and support spintronic, memory and quantum technologies that are faster, more robust and less vulnerable to stray magnetic fields.
If MnTe can generate spin-polarized currents without stray-field weakness, how close are altermagnets to real devices in memory, logic, and data centers?
Why does a tiny left-right X-ray asymmetry in MnTe matter so much for proving a third kind of magnet—and for future low-power computing?