Altermagnets are a class of magnetic materials that exhibit unconventional transport properties, such as an anomalous Hall effect (AHE), despite having compensated sublattice magnetic moments. In this study, fundamental experimental evidence of the altermagnetic nature of hematite (α-Fe2O3), is reported combining electrical transport with advanced X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM) imaging with linear and circular dichroism contrast. These measurements directly visualize the Néel vector's coupling to the crystal orientation, confirming hematite's altermagnetic order and its symmetry-driven transport behavior. The transport measurements reveal an anisotropic AHE with a pronounced crystal orientation dependence, including a sign inversion for specific Néel vector alignments. Supported by first-principles theoretical calculations, how the interplay between collinear spin and crystal symmetry breaking drives the observed AHE is explained. These findings establish hematite as an altermagnet, paving the way for experimental identification of altermagnetic materials and their integration into spintronic technologies.

Center for Quantum Spintronics Department of Physics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim 7491 Norway

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Technion Israel Institute of Technology Haifa 32000 Israel

Department of Physics and Chemistry DGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea

Grupo de Investigación en Física Aplicada Departamento de Física Universidad del Norte Barranquilla 080003 Colombia

Institute of Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic 182 00 Prague 8 Prague 182 00 Czech Republic

Institute of Physics Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Staudingerweg 7 55128 Mainz Germany

Materials Genome Institute International Center for Quantum and Molecular Structures Shanghai University 99 Shangda Road Shanghai 200444 China

MAX 4 Laboratory Fotongatan 8 22484 Lund Sweeden

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids Nöthnitzer Str 40 01187 Dresden Germany

Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems Nöthnitzer Str 38 01187 Dresden Germany

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Šmejkal L., González‐Hernández R., Jungwirth T., Sinova J., Sci. Adv. 2020, 6, eaaz8809. PubMed PMC

Šmejkal L., Sinova J., Jungwirth T., Phys. Rev. X 2022, 12, 031042.

Bai Y., Xiang X., Pan S., Zhang S., Chen H., Chen X., Han Z., Xu G., Xu F., Applied Physics Letters 2025, 126, 042402.

Urata T., Hattori W., Ikuta H., Physical Review Materials 2024, 8, 084412.

Gonzalez Betancourt R. D., Zubáč J., Gonzalez‐Hernandez R., Geishendorf K., Šobáň Z., Springholz G., Olejník K., Šmejkal L., Sinova J., Jungwirth T., Goennenwein S. T. B., Thomas A., Reichlová H., Železný J., Kriegner D., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2023, 130, 036702. PubMed

Reichlova H., Lopes Seeger R., González‐Hernández R., Kounta I., Schlitz R., Kriegner D., Ritzinger P., Lammel M., Leiviskä M., Birk Hellenes A., Olejník K., Petřiček V., Doležal P., Horak L., Schmoranzerova E., Badura A., Bertaina S., Thomas A., Baltz V., Michez L., Sinova J., Goennenwein S. T. B., Jungwirth T., Šmejkal L., Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 4961. PubMed PMC

Feng Z., Zhou X., Šmejkal L., Wu L., Zhu Z., Guo H., González‐Hernández R., Wang X., Yan H., Qin P., Zhang X., Wu H., Chen H., Meng Z., Liu L., Xia Z., Sinova J., Jungwirth T., Liu Z., Nat. Electron. 2022, 5, 735.

Bai H., Zhang Y. C., Zhou Y. J., Chen P., Wan C. H., Han L., Zhu W. X., Liang S. X., Su Y. C., Han X. F., Pan F., Song C., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2023, 130, 216701. PubMed

Biniskos N., dos Santos F. J., dos Santos Dias M., Raymond S., Schmalzl K., Steffens P., Persson J., Marzari N., Blügel S., Lounis S., Brückel T., APL Materials 2023, 11, 081103.

Ma H.‐Y., Hu M., Li N., Liu J., Yao W., Jia J.‐F., Liu J., Nature Communications 2021, 12, 2846. PubMed PMC

Šmejkal L., MacDonald A. H., Sinova J., Nakatsuji S., Jungwirth T., Nat. Rev. Mater. 2022, 7, 482.

González‐Hernández R., Šmejkal L., Výborný K., Yahagi Y., Sinova J., Jungwirth T., Železný J., Physical Review Letters 2021, 126, 127701. PubMed

Kipp J., Samanta K., Lux F. R., Merte M., Go D., Hanke J.‐P., Redies M., Freimuth F., Blügel S., Ležaić M., Commun. Phys. 2021, 4, 99.

Shindou R., Nagaosa N., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2001, 87, 116801. PubMed

Šmejkal L., Mokrousov Y., Yan B., MacDonald A. H., Nat. Phys. 2018, 14, 242.

Wang L., Shen K., Tsirkin S. S., Min T., Xia K., Appl. Phys. Lett. 2022, 120, 012403.

Samanta K., Ležaić M., Merte M., Freimuth F., Blügel S., Mokrousov Y., J. Appl. Phys. 2020, 127, 213904.

Shao D.‐F., Ding J., Gurung G., Zhang S.‐H., Tsymbal E. Y., Phys. Rev. Appl. 2021, 15, 024057.

Reimers S., Odenbreit L., Šmejkal L., Strocov V. N., Constantinou P., Hellenes A. B., Jaeschke Ubiergo R., Campos W. H., Bharadwaj V. K., Chakraborty A., Denneulin T., Shi W., Dunin‐Borkowski R. E., Das S., Kläui M., Sinova J., Jourdan M., Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 2116. PubMed PMC

Krempaský J., Šmejkal L., D'Souza S. W., Hajlaoui M., Springholz G., Uhlířová K., Alarab F., Constantinou P. C., Strocov V., Usanov D., Pudelko W. R., González‐Hernández R., Birk Hellenes A., Jansa Z., Reichlová H., Šobáň Z., Gonzalez Betancourt R. D., Wadley P., Sinova J., Kriegner D., Minár J., Dil J. H., Jungwirt T., Nature 2024, 626, 517. PubMed PMC

Lee S., Lee S., Jung S., Jung J., Kim D., Lee Y., Seok B., Kim J., Park B. G., Šmejkal L., Kang C.‐J., Kim C., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2024, 132, 036702. PubMed

Amin O. J., Dal Din A., Golias E., Niu Y., Zakharov A., Fromage S. C., Fields C. J. B., Heywood S. L., Cousins R. B., Maccherozzi F., Krempaský J., Dil J. H., Kriegner D., Kiraly B., Campion R. P., Rushforth A. W., Edmonds K. W., Dhesi S. S., Šmejkal L., Jungwirth T., Wadley P., Nature 2024, 636, 348. PubMed PMC

Bose A., Schreiber N. J., Jain R., Shao D.‐F., Nair H. P., Sun J., Zhang X. S., Muller D. A., Tsymbal E. Y., Schlom D. G., Ralph D. C., Nat. Electron. 2022, 5, 267.

Fedchenko O., Minár J., Akashdeep A., D'Souza S. W., Vasilyev D., Tkach O., Odenbreit L., Nguyen Q., Kutnyakhov D., Wind N., Wenthaus L., Scholz M., Rossnagel K., Hoesch M., Aeschlimann M., Stadtmüller B., Kläui M., Schönhense G., Jungwirth T., Hellenes A. B., Jakob G., Šmejkal L., Sinova J., Elmers H.‐J., Sci. Adv. 2024, 10, eadj4883. PubMed PMC

Morin F. J., Phys. Rev. 1950, 78, 819.

Ross A., Lebrun R., Gomonay O., Grave D. A., Kay A., Baldrati L., Becker S., Qaiumzadeh A., Ulloa C., Jakob G., Kronast F., Sinova J., Duine R., Brataas A., Rothschild A., Kläui M., Nano Lett. 2020, 20, 306. PubMed

Dannegger T., Deák A., Rózsa L., Galindez‐Ruales E., Das S., Baek E., Kläui M., Szunyogh L., Nowak U., Phys. Rev. B 2023, 107, 184426.

Baltz V., Manchon A., Tsoi M., Moriyama T., Ono T., Tserkovnyak Y., Rev. Mod. Phys. 2018, 90, 015005.

Meer H., Gomonay O., Wittmann A., Kläui M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 2023, 122, 080502.

Jani H., Lin J.‐C., Chen J., Harrison J., Maccherozzi F., Schad J., Prakash S., Eom C.‐B., Ariando A., Venkatesan T., Radaelli P. G., Nature 2021, 590, 74. PubMed

Ross A., Lebrun R., Baldrati L., Kamra A., Gomonay O., Ding S., Schreiber F., Backes D., Maccherozzi F., Grave D. A., Rothschild A., Sinova J., Kläui M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 2020, 117, 242405.

Acket G. A., Volger J., Physica 1966, 32, 1543.

Rettie A. J. E., Chemelewski W. D., Wygant B. R., Lindemuth J., Lin J.‐F., Eisenberg D., Brauer C. S., Johnson T. J., Beiswenger T. N., Ash R. D., Li X., Zhou J., Mullins C. B., J. Mater. Chem. C 2016, 4, 559.

Zhao B., Kaspar T. C., Droubay T. C., McCloy J., Bowden M. E., Shutthanandan V., Heald S. M., Chambers S. A., Phys. Rev. B 2011, 84, 245325.

Vlasov K., Rosenberg E. A., Titova A. G., Yakovlev Y. M., Sov. Phys.‐Solid State 1980, 22, 967.

Ovsyannikov S. V., Morozova N. V., Karkin A. E., Shchennikov V. V., Phys. Rev. B 2012, 86, 205131.

Gharibi E., Hbika A., Dupre B., Gleitzer C., Chem. Inform. 1990, 21, 43.

Paudel T. R., Zakutayev A., Lany S., d'Avezac M., Zunger A., Advanced Functional Materials 2011, 21, 4493.

Robertson J., Clark S. J., Phys. Rev. B 2011, 83, 075205.

Pan H., Meng X., Liu D., Li S., Qin G., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2015, 17, 22179. PubMed

Lebrun R., Ross A., Gomonay O., Bender S. A., Baldrati L., Kronast F., Qaiumzadeh A., Sinova J., Brataas A., Duine R. A., Kläui M., Communications Physics 2019, 2, 50.

Ross A., Lebrun R., Ulloa C., Grave D. A., Kay A., Baldrati L., Kronast F., Valencia S., Rothschild A., Kläui M., Phys. Rev. B 2020, 102, 094415.

Hoyer R., Stavropoulos P. P., Razpopov A., Valentí R., Šmejkal L., Mook A., arXiv:2503.11623 2025.

Supporting information, See Supporting Information for a comprehensive account of the fabrication procedures and sample quality, 2025,

Fabian K., Robinson P., McEnroe S. A., Heidelbach F., Hirt A. M., Experimental Study of the Magnetic Signature of Basal‐Plane Anisotropy in Hematite, Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, 2011, pp. 311–320, ISBN 978‐94‐007‐0323‐0.

Besser P. J., Morrish A. H., Searle C. W., Phys. Rev. 1967, 153, 632.

Foner S., Phys. Rev. 1963, 130, 183.

Wittmann A., Gomonay O., Litzius K., Kaczmarek A., Kossak A. E., Wolf D., Lubk A., Johnson T. N., Tremsina E. A., Churikova A., Büttner F., Wintz S., Mawass M.‐A., Weigand M., Kronast F., Scipioni L., Shepard A., Newhouse‐Illige T., Greer J. A., Schütz G., Birge N. O., Beach G. S. D., Physical Review B 2022, 106, 224419.

Meer H., Gomonay O., Schmitt C., Ramos R., Schnitzspan L., Kronast F., Mawass M.‐A., Valencia S., Saitoh E., Sinova J., Baldrati L., Kläui M., Phys. Rev. B 2022, 106, 094430.

Ebert H., Ködderitzsch D., Minár J., Rep. Prog. Phys. 2011, 74, 096501.

Amin V. P., Li J., Stiles M. D., Haney P. M., Phys. Rev. B 2019, 99, 220405.

Ayino Y., Xu P., Tigre‐Lazo J., Yue J., Jalan B., Pribiag V. S., Phys. Rev. Mater. 2018, 2, 031401.

Grave D. A., Dotan H., Levy Y., Piekner Y., Scherrer B., Malviya K. D., Rothschild A., J. Mater. Chem. A 2016, 4, 3052.

Perloff D. S., Solid State Electron. 1977, 20, 681.

Morrish A.,

Malviya K. D., Dotan H., Shlenkevich D., Tsyganok A., Mor H., Rothschild A., J. Mater. Chem. A 2016, 4, 3091.

Lebrun R., Ross A., Bender S. A., Qaiumzadeh A., Baldrati L., Cramer J., Brataas A., Duine R. A., Kläui M., Nature 2018, 561, 222. PubMed PMC

Artman J. O., Murphy J. C., Foner S., Phys. Rev. 1965, 138, A912.

Dzyaloshinsky I., J. Phys. Chem. Solids 1958, 4, 241.

Kresse G., Furthmüller J., Phys. Rev. B 1996, 54, 11169. PubMed

Mostofi A. A., Yates J. R., Lee Y.‐S., Souza I., Vanderbilt D., Marzari N., Comput. Phys. Commun. 2008, 178, 685.

Galindez‐Ruales E., Gonzalez‐Hernandez R., Kläui M., Zenodo, 2025, 10.5281/zenodo.16457107 DOI