Physicists have unveiled new properties of altermagnets. The findings were published on October 2 in Science Advances. Here is what altermagnets are.

Magnets come in familiar types. Ferromagnets, like fridge magnets, have aligned spins that create a magnetic field. Antiferromagnets have spins pointing in opposite directions. They cancel out and show no field.

Altermagnets are a third class. Their spins alternate like antiferromagnets. But their electrons still behave as if the material were magnetic. They combine the best of both worlds.

The new research, led by Constantin Schrade and Mathias Scheurer, shows altermagnets can precisely control electron spin. Spin is a quantum property of electrons. Controlling it is key for future electronics.

This matters for spintronics. Spintronics uses electron spin, not just charge, to process information. Devices could use far less energy. They could be faster and smaller.

The research is still foundational. But altermagnets could one day replace traditional magnetic materials in storage and processing hardware.