arXiv subjects

Rafael Gonzalez-Hernandez

Publications and source records attributed to Rafael Gonzalez-Hernandez.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Fermi-surface studies of altermagnetic CrSb from Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations

Within the family of altermagnets, CrSb is a metallic, collinearly ordered material that exhibits particularly strong symmetry-induced spin splitting in its band structure. In this study, we combine electrical magnetotransport measurements up to 68 T on microfabricated single-crystalline CrSb with first-principles calculations to investigate its Fermi surface. Notably, we study the temperature and field-orientation dependence of magnetic quantum oscillations observed in the magnetoresistance. The observed frequency spectrum agrees well with results from density-functional-theory calculations. Our results confirm the predicted electronic band structure of altermagnetic CrSb and highlight the importance of high magnetic fields for accurately mapping the Fermi surfaces of unconventional emergent materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Direct demonstration of time-reversal-symmetry-breaking spin injection from a compensated magnet

The injection, propagation and detection of spin currents are essential physical processes in spintronics. So far, the separation of charge and spin currents was facilitated by the electrical spin injection from a ferromagnet (FM) or the injection by a relativistic spin Hall effect. The devices employed are lateral spin valves comprising spatially separated injection and detection electrodes, connected by a spin-propagation channel. The time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking FM spin injection is realized in a geometry with an electrical bias applied between the injection electrode and the channel and is modelled by a conserved spin-polarized drift current. In contrast, the spin injection by the T-symmetric relativistic spin Hall mechanism is driven by an electrical bias applied across the injection electrode alone, and is modelled by a non-conserved spin current transverse to the applied bias. In this work, we use a lateral spin valve with a Mn5Si3 injection electrode to directly demonstrate a TRS-breaking spin injection from a compensated magnet with a vanishing net magnetization. Specifically, the TRS-breaking is demonstrated by the fact that switching between time-reversed states of the compensated magnet changes the detected spin signal. Moreover, the TRS-breaking nature of the spin injection is observed in both experimental geometries with the different electrical biasing, while using the same detection electrode. We show that this unconventional spin-injection is consistent with different magnitudes and propagation angles of electrical currents in the spin-up and spin-down channel in a d-wave altermagnet. Here our symmetry analysis and first-principles calculations are based on the compensated collinear altermagnetic order which has provided a comprehensive microscopic interpretation of earlier structural, magnetic, and anomalous Hall and Nernst measurements in Mn5Si3 thin films.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Coexistence of d-Wave Altermagnetism and Topological States in Janus FeSeX (X = S, Te) Monolayers

The interplay between unconventional magnetism and band topology in two-dimensional materials has emerged as an important theme in condensed matter physics. Here, we present first-principles calculations that reveal the coexistence of d-wave altermagnetism and topological behavior in Janus FeSeX (X = S, Te) monolayers. The chemical asymmetry of the Janus structure breaks both out-of-plane mirror and inversion symmetries, leading to anisotropic exchange interactions and momentum-dependent spin splittings even in the absence of spin-orbit coupling, the defining signature of altermagnetism. Phonon dispersion analyses confirm the dynamical stability of both compounds, while strain-dependent calculations demonstrate that the magnitude of the altermagnetic exchange splitting ($Δ_s$) can be efficiently tuned by biaxial strain. When spin-orbit coupling is included, a finite topological band gap emerges at the Fermi level, accompanied by quantized spin Hall conductivity plateaus and nontrivial topological invariants (spin Chern number = 1, Z2=1). These findings establish FeSeS and FeSeTe as promising two-dimensional platforms for realizing topological altermagnetism and spin--orbit--driven charge--spin conversion, thus opening new avenues for low-dissipation spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Twist-engineering of a robust Quantum Spin Hall phase in $β$-/flat bismuthene bilayer from first principles

Twist-engineering of topological phases in two-dimensional materials offers a powerful route to modulate electronic structure beyond conventional strain or chemical control. In particular, group 15 (pnictogens) monolayers such as bismuthene provide an ideal platform due to their strong intrinsic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and robust topological character. Here, we investigate a previously unexplored heterostructure consisting of a $β$-bismuthene monolayer rotated by 30$^\circ$ on a planar bismuthene layer stabilized on a SiC(0001) substrate. Using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that this specific rotational alignment induces a unique interlayer orbital hybridization which, combined with the strong SOC and the naturally broken inversion symmetry, gives rise to a pronounced Rashba spin-splitting, absent in the isolated monolayers. The topological nature of the system is confirmed through the calculation of the Z2 topological invariant and Spin Hall Conductivity (SHC), revealing a robust Quantum Spin Hall (QSH) phase with an enhanced topological response compared to the individual layers. Furthermore, we explore the chemical tunability of this system via Sb substitution, showing that the gradual reduction of SOC systematically narrows the band gap while preserving the non-trivial topology. Our results establish large-angle twisted group 15 heterostructures as a versatile platform for engineering spin-orbit-driven phenomena and advancing topological spintronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Revealing the Altermagnetism in Hematite via XMCD Imaging and Anomalous Hall Electrical Transport

Altermagnets are a class of magnetic materials that exhibit unconventional transport properties, such as an anomalous Hall effect, despite having compensated sublattice magnetic moments. In this study, we report fundamental experimental evidence of the altermagnetic nature of hematite ($α$-\ch{Fe2O3}), combining electrical transport with advanced XPEEM imaging with linear and circular dichroism contrast. Our measurements directly visualize the Néel vector's coupling to the crystal orientation, confirming hematite's altermagnetic order and its symmetry-driven transport behavior. Transport measurements reveal an anisotropic AHE with a pronounced crystal orientation dependence, including a sign inversion for specific Néel vector alignments. Supported by first-principles theoretical calculations, we explain how the interplay between collinear spin and crystal symmetry breaking drives the observed anomalous Hall effect. These findings establish hematite as an altermagnet, paving the way for experimental identification of altermagnetic materials and their integration into spintronic technologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Tuning the Topological Properties of the Antiferromagnetic V(Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$)$_{2}$Te$_{4}$ via Sb concentration

The investigation of topological materials has uncovered groundbreaking phases of matter with significant implications for quantum technologies. Here, we explore the antiferromagnetic topological insulator family V(Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$)$_{2}$Te$_{4}$ ($x$=$0$, $0.5$, $1$), formed by introducing vanadium telluride (VTe) layers into the layered topological insulator (Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$)$_{2}$Te$_{3}$. Our results reveal the tunability of the spin Hall conductivity (SHC) and its topological contribution, quantified by the recently introduced average Spin Chern Number (ASCN), via Sb concentration. The materials' strong topological insulating behavior is established through spin-orbit coupling-induced band inversions, nontrivial $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariants, and the presence of topological surface states. These findings position V(Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$)$_{2}$Te$_{4}$ as promising candidates for next-generation spintronic devices and advanced quantum applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Model Hamiltonian for Altermagnetic Topological Insulators

We present models of topological insulating Hamiltonians exhibiting intrinsic altermagnetic features, protected by combined three-fold or four-fold rotational symmetries with time-reversal. We demonstrate that the spin Chern number serves as a robust topological invariant in two-dimensional systems, while for three-dimensional structures, the topological nature is characterized by the spin Chern numbers computed on the $k_z$=$0$ and $k_z$=$π$ planes. The resulting phases support symmetry-protected boundary modes, including corner, hinges and surface states, whose structure is determined by the magnetic symmetry and the local magnetic moments. Our findings bridge the fields of altermagnetism and topological quantum matter, and establish a theoretical framework for engineering spintronic topological systems without net magnetization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Spin Chern number in altermagnets

This work explores the topological properties of altermagnets, a novel class of collinear magnetic materials. We employ equivariant K-theory of magnetic groups and Hamiltonian models to formulate a robust $C^z_4 \mathbb{T}$ topological invariant to classify 2D and 3D altermagnetic systems. Our findings demonstrate that the spin Chern number serves as a robust topological index, corresponding to the half-quantized Chern number of the divided Brillouin zone. This indicator enables the prediction of a topologically protected 2D altermagnetic insulators and 3D Weyl altermagnetic semimetals, highlighting the relationship between altermagnetism and topological phases. Furthermore, our results provide a pathway to the exploration of topological applications in $d$-wave altermagnetic materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

On the average spin Chern number

In this work, we propose the average spin Chern number (ASCN) as an indicator of the topological significance of the spin degree of freedom within insulating materials. Whenever this number is a non-zero even integer, it distinguishes the material as a spin Chern insulator, and the number is a topological invariant whenever there is a symmetry that commutes with the spin and protects Chern numbers. If this number is not zero, it indicates that the material has non-trivial spin transport properties, and it lies close to the value of the spin Hall conductivity (SHC) within the bandgap. For systems where the spin commutes with the Hamiltonian, the ASCN matches the SHC. When the non-commutativity of the spin with the Hamiltonian cannot be neglected, both values are non-zero simultaneously. The ASCN is therefore a good complement for the intrinsic contribution of the SHC, and permits to detect topological information of the material which is not possible alone from the value of the SHC.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Spin Weyl Topological Insulators

The quantum nature of electron spin is crucial for establishing topological invariants in real materials. Since the spin does not in general commute with the Hamiltonian, some of the topological features of the material can be extracted from its study. In insulating materials, the spin operator induces a projected operator on valence states called the spin valence operator. Its spectrum contains information with regard to the different phases of the spin Chern class. If the spin valence spectrum is gapped, the spin Chern numbers are constant along parallel planes thus defining spin Chern insulating materials. If the spin valence spectrum is not gapped, the changes in the spin Chern numbers occur whenever this spectrum is zero. Materials whose spin valence spectrum is gapless will be denoted spin Weyl topological insulators and their definition together with some of their properties will be presented in this work. The classification of materials from the properties of the spin valence operator provides a characterization that complements the existing list of topological invariants.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Chiral magnons in altermagnetic RuO2

Magnons in ferromagnets have one chirality, and typically are in the GHz range and have a quadratic dispersion near the zero wavevector. In contrast, magnons in antiferromagnets are commonly considered to have bands with both chiralities that are degenerate across the entire Brillouin zone, and to be in the THz range and to have a linear dispersion near the center of the Brillouin zone. Here we theoretically demonstrate a new class of magnons on a prototypical $d$-wave altermagnet RuO$_2$ with the compensated antiparallel magnetic order in the ground state. Based on density-functional-theory calculations we observe that the THz-range magnon bands in RuO$_2$ have an alternating chirality splitting, similar to the alternating spin splitting of the electronic bands, and a linear magnon dispersion near the zero wavevector. We also show that, overall, the Landau damping of this metallic altermagnet is suppressed due to the spin-split electronic structure, as compared to an artificial antiferromagnetic phase of the same RuO$_2$ crystal with spin-degenerate electronic bands and chirality-degenerate magnon bands.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Axion insulators protected by C2T and their K-theory invariants and material realization

Axion insulators are generally understood as magnetic topological insulators whose Chern-Simons axion coupling term is quantized and equal to $π$. Inversion and time reversal, or the composition of either one with a rotation or a translation, are symmetries which protect this invariant. In this work, we focus our attention on the composition of a 2-fold rotation with time reversal, and we show that insulators with this symmetry possess a Z2 invariant arising from Atiyah's real K-theory. We call this invariant the K-theory Kane-Mele invariant due to the similarities it has with the Kane-Mele invariant for systems with time-reversal symmetry. Whenever all Chern numbers vanish, we demonstrate that this invariant is equivalent to the Chern-Simons axion coupling, and in the presence of the inversion symmetry, we show how this invariant could be obtained from the eigenvalues of the inversion operator on its fixed points in momentum space. For the general case of non-trivial Chern numbers, the Chern-Simons axion coupling term incorporates information of the K-theory Kane-Mele invariant as well as information regarding bands with non-trival Chern numbers. An explicit formula in terms of K-theory generators is presented for the Chern-Simons axion coupling term, the relation with the K-theory Kane-Mele invariant is explained, and a formula in terms of eigenvalues of the inversion operator is obtained. Using an effective Hamiltonian model and first-principles calculations, we also show that the occurrence of bulk-band inversion and nontrivial K-theory Kane-Mele invariant index can be observed in axion insulators of the pnictides family. In particular, we demonstrate that NpBi can be classified as an axion insulator due to the detection of additional topological indicators such as the quantum spin Hall effect, gapped surface states, surface quantized anomalous Hall effect, and chiral hinge modes

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

On quasi-nodal spheres and the spin Hall effect: the case of YH3 and CaTe

Band inversion is a known feature in a wide range of topological insulators characterized by a change of orbital type around a high-symmetry point close to the Fermi level. In some cases of band inversion in topological insulators, the existence of quasinodal spheres has been detected, and the change of orbital type is shown to be concentrated along these spheres in momentum space. To understand this phenomenon, we develop a local effective fourfold Hamiltonian that models the band inversion and reproduces the quasinodal sphere. This model shows that the signal of the spin Hall conductivity, as well as the change of orbital type, are both localized on the quasinodal sphere, and moreover, that these two indicators characterize the topological nature of the material. Using K-theoretical methods, we show that the change of orbital type parametrized by an odd clutching function is equivalent to the strong Fu-Kane-Mele invariant. We corroborate these results with ab initio calculations for the materials YH3 and CaTe, where in both cases the signal of the spin Hall conductivity is localized on the quasinodal spheres in momentum space. We conclude that a nontrivial spin Hall conductivity localized on the points of change of orbital type is a good indicator for topological insulation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Anomalous, anomalous Hall effect in the layered, Kagome, Dirac semimetal KV$_3$Sb$_5$

The electronic anomalous Hall effect (AHE), where charge carriers acquire a velocity component orthogonal to an applied electric field, is one of the most fundamental and widely studied phenomena in physics. There are several different AHE mechanisms known, and material examples are highly sought after, however in the highly conductive (skew scattering) regime the focus has centered around ferromagnetic metals. Here we report the observation of a giant extrinsic AHE in KV$_3$Sb$_5$, an exfoliable, Dirac semimetal with a Kagome layer of Vanadium atoms. Although there has been no reports of magnetic ordering down to 0.25 K, the anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) reaches $\approx$ 15,507 $Ω^{-1}$cm$^{-1}$ with an anomalous Hall ratio (AHR) of $\approx$ 1.8$ \%$; an order of magnitude larger than Fe. Defying expectations from skew scattering theory, KV$_3$Sb$_5$ shows an enhanced skew scattering effect that scales quadratically, not linearly, with the longitudinal conductivity ($σ_{xx}$), opening the possibility of reaching an anomalous Hall angle (AHA) of 90$^{\circ}$ in metals; an effect thought reserved for quantum anomalous Hall insulators. This observation raises fundamental questions about the AHE and opens a new frontier for AHE (and correspondingly SHE) exploration, stimulating investigation in a new direction of materials, including metallic geometrically frustrated magnets, spin-liquid candidates, and cluster magnets.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗