All-electrically controlled spintronics in altermagnetic heterostructures

Abstract The recent discovery of altermagnets, which exhibit spin splitting without net magnetization, opens new directions for spintronics beyond the limits of ferromagnets, antiferromagnets, and spin-orbit coupled systems. We investigate spin-selective quantum transport in heterostructures composed of a normal metal and a two-dimensional d -wave altermagnet, and identify a universal mechanism for achieving perfect spin polarization. The mechanism is dictated by Fermi-surface geometry: closed surfaces in weak altermagnets yield partial and oscillatory spin filtering, whereas open surfaces in strong altermagnets intrinsically enforce fully spin-polarized conductance. Exploiting these distinct transport properties, we propose all-electrical spin-filter and spin-valve architectures, where resonant tunneling produces highly spin-polarized conductance tunable by gate voltage and interface transparency. Altermagnets with open Fermi surfaces further support gate-reversible perfect spin polarization that remains robust against interface scattering, disorder, and temperature. We also demonstrate an electrically controlled spin valve that reproduces the functionality of magnetic tunnel junctions without magnetic fields or relativistic mechanisms. d -wave altermagnets with open Fermi surfaces thus provide a new platform for low-dissipation, scalable, and magnetic-field-free spintronic devices, with potential for integration into next-generation quantum and CMOS-compatible technologies.