The ability to switch magnetic properties of a material on and off, akin to a light switch, could drive the development of more efficient electronic devices. Research from the Institute of Molecular Science of the Universitat de València (ICMol), part of the scientific-academic area of the UV Science Park, has found a way to control altermagnetism by applying pressure to certain molecular materials.
This finding, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, offers a new theoretical approach to a key challenge in altermagnetism: achieving reversible modification of its properties via external stimuli. This capability is particularly relevant for spintronics, a technology that uses electron spin to process and transmit information.
Altermagnetism, experimentally confirmed in 2024, is attracting significant scientific interest due to its properties and potential for new electronic components. However, precise and reversible control of its behavior remains a hurdle for technological application.
The research team at ICMol has demonstrated through simulations that pressure can activate and deactivate altermagnetism in specific metal-organic frameworks. The study, led by José J. Baldoví, focuses on the spin transition phenomenon, which allows certain materials to alternate between high and low spin electronic states.
Using computational simulations of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the work analyzes a layered structure where pressure can induce changes in the spin state and, consequently, in its magnetic behavior. The results indicate that altermagnetism can be activated and deactivated with sufficient pressure, marking a significant step towards designing programmable and reconfigurable electronic devices, such as spintronic transistors and low-power memories.
Beyond pressure, the study suggests that other stimuli like temperature or light could control altermagnetism in molecular materials, expanding possibilities for systems with tunable properties. These findings pave the way for future altermagnetic switches controlled by various external stimuli, combining coordination chemistry with altermagnetism properties to create functional materials.
Although the results stem from theoretical simulations and require experimental validation, the research provides a strategy for studying materials with controllable magnetic behavior, contributing to the development of future, more energy-efficient information processing and storage technologies.
The work involved José J. Baldoví, Alberto M. Ruiz, Andrei Shumilin, and Diego López Alcalá from the 2D Smart Materials Lab group at ICMol. The research received funding from the European Union (ERC 2D-SMARTiES), the Ministry of Science and Innovation (2D-MAGIC), and the Plan GenT of the Generalitat Valenciana (2D-SWiMS).
