UCF physicist Madhab Neupane and collaborators identified altermagnetism in Co₁/₄TaSe₂, a layered material that combines properties of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, potentially advancing spintronics and energy-efficient electronics.
UCF physicist Madhab Neupane and a team of researchers have experimentally confirmed the existence of altermagnetism in a layered material, marking a breakthrough in magnetism research with potential applications in next-generation computing. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, centers on Co₁/₄TaSe₂, a compound containing magnetic cobalt atoms that exhibits unique electronic properties. The findings were reported on September 28, 2026, by Phys.org, which noted the research was authored by Andrew Miller.
Unpacking Altermagnetism: A New Magnetic State
Altermagnetism, a phenomenon that merges traits of ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, allows materials to generate and detect spin currents without producing disruptive stray magnetic fields. Unlike conventional ferromagnets, which align magnetic moments in the same direction and create external fields, or antiferromagnets, which cancel internal fields but lack certain electronic advantages, altermagnets offer a middle ground. These materials are distinguished from more conventional antiferromagnets by their ability to generate and detect spin currents without the negative effect of producing stray fields,
Neupane says. Our approach was to use higher-resolution methods that were insensitive to the electron’s spin to measure the splitting in the energy levels,
Neupane says.
The team used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to analyze Co₁/₄TaSe₂, a layered material. By combining high-resolution ARPES with spin-resolved measurements, they observed a characteristic splitting in the material’s electronic bands, with split states carrying opposite spin polarizations—a key signature of altermagnetism. The significance became clear once the experimental measurements consistently matched our theoretical predictions,
Neupane says.
The Path to Practical Applications
The discovery could speed up the development of spintronic devices, which use electron spin instead of charge for data processing. Such technologies promise faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient electronics, including ultrafast memory systems and terahertz communication networks. This new property makes them very well positioned for use in many different applications—including spintronics, ultrafast memory devices, terahertz networks and energy-efficient electronics,
Neupane says.
Researchers emphasized the importance of high-quality, ultra-clean samples in their experiments. While collaborators produced the initial material, Neupane’s team meticulously screened surfaces to ensure accurate measurements. The work involved national synchrotron facilities, including the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, highlighting the collaborative scale of the effort.
Why This Matters for Future Technologies
The identification of altermagnetism in a layered material opens new pathways for material science. By avoiding stray magnetic fields while enabling spin current manipulation, Co₁/₄TaSe₂ could serve as a foundational platform for next-generation devices. The research also highlights the role of advanced spectroscopic techniques like ARPES in uncovering novel quantum phenomena.
Seeing those independent pieces of evidence converge gave us confidence that we had identified a genuine layered altermagnet,
Neupane says.