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arXiv · 2503.19987

Multiferroic nematic d-wave altermagnetism driven by orbital-order on the honeycomb lattice

Luigi Camerano·Adolfo O. Fumega·Jose L. Lado·Alessandro Stroppa·Gianni Profeta
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Abstract

Altermagnets provide promising platforms for unconventional magnetism, whose controllability would enable a whole new generation of spintronic devices. While a variety of bulk altermagnets have been discovered, altermagnetism in two-dimensional van der Waals materials has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate that the strained honeycomb monolayer VCl$_{3}$ is an orbital-order-driven ferroelectric altermagnet, exhibiting a significant and switchable spin-splitting. By using low-energy Hamiltonian and first-principles methods in combination with symmetry analysis, we reveal a unique anti-ferro-orbital-antiferromagnetic phase characterized by a 2D nematic $d$-wave altermagnetic spin splitting, tightly coupled with an orbital-ordered induced ferroelectric polarization. Finally, through symmetry mode analysis, we investigate how structural distortions favor the intricate interplay between orbital, altermagnetic, and ferroelectric degrees of freedom. Our study identifies VCl$_3$ as a prototypical 2D orbital-order-driven multiferroic altermagnet on the honeycomb lattice, establishing a van der Waals monolayer featuring altermagnetic ferroelectricity.

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Luigi Camerano, Adolfo O. Fumega, Jose L. Lado, Alessandro Stroppa, Gianni Profeta. 2025-03-25. Multiferroic nematic d-wave altermagnetism driven by orbital-order on the honeycomb lattice. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-025-00599-5

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