# SLAC team reports experimental proof of altermagnetism in manganese telluride (MnTe) - Published: 2026-11-05 03:09 UTC - Section: Science › Physics - Tags: altermagnetism, third type of magnetism, manganese telluride MnTe, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, chirality in magnets, circularly polarized X-rays, antiferromagnet, ferromagnet, spintronics, ESRF ID32 beamline - URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-8d5cec585e14ffe08b600609_slac_team_reports/ **A SLAC-led team published in Science X-ray scattering data showing a chiral signal in MnTe, which a conventional antiferromagnet should not produce.** ![SLAC team reports experimental proof of altermagnetism in manganese telluride (MnTe)](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/b00072981f1a3bc1.webp) *ScienceDaily* A team led by the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has reported experimental evidence for altermagnetism, a third magnetic phase, in a paper published in Science, according to www6.slac.stanford.edu. The material studied was manganese telluride (MnTe). The measurements were made at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France. [1] The authors report direct evidence of chirality, an asymmetric magnetic structure akin to a spiral staircase or a screw, in the spins of MnTe, a candidate altermagnetic material. Lead author Daniel Jost, an associate scientist at SLAC and the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, said the results provide robust experimental confirmation that this third phase is real. [1] ## Two classical classes and a third A material is considered magnetic if the spins of its electrons, their internal angular momentum, are ordered in a specific pattern. In ferromagnets all spins point the same way, which produces an observable magnetic field. Antiferromagnets, identified in 1933, have alternating spins (up-down-up-down) that cancel each other, so there is no net magnetic effect. For nearly 90 years this two-category system dominated the understanding of magnetism. [1] In recent years some materials appeared to combine features of both classes: an alternating spin configuration with no net magnetization, and the ability to use spin currents. In 2022 researchers proposed the term "altermagnets" for them. The postulated explanation is that the crystal lattice around the "up" spins is rotated relative to the lattice around the "down" spins, a break in symmetry. [1] ## Chirality measured with polarized X-rays Chirality, or handedness, means a structure cannot be superimposed on its mirror image. An altermagnet would have alternating spins like an antiferromagnet, but its lattice twist would give its electronic and magnetic structure a handedness that conventional antiferromagnets lack. [1] MnTe had been considered an antiferromagnet for decades until it was suspected to be altermagnetic a few years ago. The team used the ID32 beamline at ESRF, which generates highly controlled polarized X-ray beams. Chiral materials scatter left- and right-handed circularly polarized X-rays differently, while non-chiral materials scatter them the same way. Comparing the two responses, the team found a clear chiral signal that should not exist in a conventional antiferromagnet. [1] The initial experiment was completed in 2024. The team repeated it in early 2025 and confirmed the earlier results. [1] According to SLAC, identifying such materials could allow researchers to tune their properties for advanced electronics, including quantum technologies, memory devices and data centers. The authors link the work to spintronics, which uses the polarized spin of magnetic materials in addition to electron charge. [1] ## Sources 1. [www6.slac.stanford.edu](https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2026-10-29-slac-researchers-find-proof-altermagnetism-new-magnetic-phase) 2. [ScienceDaily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/11/261104012256.htm) --- Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-8d5cec585e14ffe08b600609_slac_team_reports/