Chiral Antiferromagnetism from Momentum-Space Resonance in a 2D Semiconductor

Abstract

Understanding the principles governing the emergence of chiral quantum phases is a fundamental challenge, not only for uncovering new mechanisms of quantum-state formation but also for realizing giant electronic responses and transport phenomena arising from chirality and topology. While Fermi-surface instabilities in metals can stabilize complex ordered states through multiple competing scattering channels, their microscopic origin is often obscured by the complexity of the underlying electronic structure, limiting the development of general microscopic design principles. Here, we introduce a complementary strategy based on the simplicity of semiconductor band extrema. Using the layered van der Waals semiconductor GdGaI, whose low-energy electronic structure consists of simple electron and hole valleys, we discover the spontaneous emergence of an intertwined chiral triple-$q$ antiferromagnetic state accompanied by a cooperative reconstruction of the electron-hole band edges, beyond the conventional expectation of a single-$q$ ground state. This collective reconstruction generates substantial momentum-space Berry curvature, giving rise to a pronounced spontaneous anomalous Hall effect despite the semiconducting character and negligible net magnetization. Remarkably, this chiral state is realized within an atomically well-defined ($\approx2a$), topologically nontrivial magnetic texture, showing that such collective quantum states can emerge at an exceptionally small length scale from a simple two-dimensional magnetic semiconductor. More broadly, our results introduce a remarkably simple design concept for chiral quantum matter: using simple semiconductor band extrema as building blocks for resonance-like interplay in momentum space, providing a route to Berry curvature, topological transport, and emergent quantum phases.