Observation of in-plane anomalous Nernst effect
The Nernst effect, which enables the conversion of a heat current into a transverse voltage under magnetic field or spin magnetization, holds significant promise for energy harvesting and thermal management in future electronics. However, the conventional Nernst effect is fundamentally constrained by the orthogonality requirement that the applied field or spontaneous magnetization must be perpendicular to the plane defined by the temperature gradient and the induced voltage. Here we report that symmetry-tailored ultrathin films of a prototypical ferromagnetic oxide exhibit anomalous Nernst effect arising from intrinsic coupling to spontaneous in-plane spin magnetization. Systematic magnetothermoelectric measurements under spherical rotations of the magnetic field reveal that a pronounced Nernst signal, comparable in magnitude to the out-of-plane response, emerges robustly associated with out-of-plane orbital magnetization. Our findings demonstrate that the anomalous Nernst effect is no longer limited by the orthogonality condition, opening new opportunities for more flexible designs of magnetothermoelectric materials and devices.