Interplay of altermagnetism and pressure in hexagonal and orthorhombic MnTe
Nayana Devaraj, Anumita Bose, Awadhesh Narayan
Abstract
Alternative magnetic materials, or ``altermagnets,'' characterized by their unconventional nonrelativistic, momentum-dependent spin-split states, represent a cutting-edge advancement in the field of collinear magnetism, offering promising avenues for spintronic applications. Among these materials, hexagonal MnTe has emerged as a standout material candidate for its substantial spin-splitting. In this study, employing first-principles electronic structure calculations and spin group symmetry analysis, we delve into the interplay of altermagnetism and pressure in two main phases of MnTe. Our relativistic calculations demonstrate the presence of the tunable anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in hexagonal MnTe. In addition, our results underscore the pivotal role of pressure as a tuning parameter for the alternative magnetic traits in the system. Furthermore, we identify another phase of MnTe with orthorhombic structure, namely $\ensuremath{\gamma}\text{-MnTe}$, hosting altermagnetic characteristics. We study, in detail, its response in AHE and spin-spliting due to magnetization and pressure variations, respectively. Our study highlights the substantial impact of pressure on the properties of alternative magnetic materials, particularly emphasizing the pronounced tuning effect observed in the hexagonal and orthorhombic MnTe.