Supercurrent-driven Néel torque in superconductor/altermagnet hybrids
We predict a supercurrent-driven Néel spin-orbit torque in a superconductor/$d$-wave altermagnet heterostructure, associated with the emergence of spin-triplet correlations. The effect can be understood as a consequence of the supercurrent-induced spin polarization, owing to the interplay between spin orbit coupling and momentum-dependent spin splitting, as found, for example, in altermagnets. Remarkably, the supercurrent can be tuned by the Néel-vector direction, and the supercurrent-induced torque can both propel magnetic domain walls and reverse the Néel-vector orientation within a domain wall. These findings establish superconductor/altermagnet heterostructures as a versatile platform for the {supercurrent-driven} control of the Néel vector, with potential applications in racetrack memory, dissipationless superconducting electronics, and unconventional computing.
Authors
- Hamed Vakili (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8971-4664)
- Igor Žutić (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2485-226X)
- Alexey A. Kovalev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5884-7154)
- Moaz Ali (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5822-1653)
Institutions
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. B./Physical review. B
- Published
- 2026-10-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/8zh7-h5xd
- Primary Topic
- Magnetic properties of thin films
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Office of Science
- Basic Energy Sciences