Materials

Imaging Surface Magnetization in Altermagnetic MnTe Films

Ling-Jie Zhou, Senlei Li, Zi-Jie Yan, Yufei Zhao, Hongtao Rong, Zelong Xiong, Yiran Zhao, Pu Xiao, Lok Kan Lai, Hyeonhu Bae, Haoyu Liu, Chao-Xing Liu, Binghai Yan, Cui-Zu Chang, Hailong Wang, Chunhui Rita Du

Featured June 21, 2026

Original Paper

AI-generated analysis — This is SciGrove's AI interpretation of the paper, not peer-reviewed content. Always refer to the original paper.

Simply

Using tiny quantum sensors, scientists directly saw and controlled the super-faint magnetic patterns on the surface of a new material called altermagnetic MnTe, linking these patterns to its unusual electrical behavior.

In depth

The paper pioneers the direct nanoscale imaging of the evanescent out-of-plane magnetization (

M_{z}

) in the altermagnet

α

-MnTe using scanning-probe NV microscopy. This work reveals that this weak magnetization is predominantly surface-driven due to symmetry breaking and can be manipulated by external magnetic fields, further establishing a crucial correlation with the material's anomalous Hall effect.

Key Takeaways

1
The authors achieved the first direct nanoscale imaging of weak out-of-plane magnetization ( $M_{z}$ ) in the altermagnet $α$ -MnTe using scanning-probe NV microscopy.
2
The study demonstrates that the observed magnetization is surface-dominated, arising from broken symmetry at the material's interface, and its magnetic domains can be controlled by external magnetic fields.
3
A strong correlation was established between the weak surface magnetization and the anomalous Hall effect, with both phenomena vanishing at the same onset temperature.

Conceptual Flow

HIGH LEVEL

Methodology: Seeing Hidden Magnetism

Scientists used a special quantum sensor to directly map the tiny magnetic fields coming from a new type of magnetic material.

Altermagnet Material

Scan with Quantum Sensor

Map of Tiny Magnetic Fields

Results: Surface Controls Behavior

They found that the material's magnetism mostly comes from its very top layer, and this surface magnetism helps control how electricity flows through it.

Tiny Magnetic Fields

Change Material Thickness

Surface Magnetism Dominates

Controls Electrical Flow

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