Physicists Win Major Prize for Uncovering 'Altermagnetism', a Third Form of Magnetism

For more than a century, introductory physics textbooks have taught that magnetic materials belong to two fundamental classes: ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. That long-established binary has now been completely upended by the confirmation of a third elementary magnetic phase. In recognition of this paradigm-shifting discovery, known as "altermagnetism," three researchers have been awarded the highly prestigious 2026 Europhysics Prize by the European Physical Society (EPS).

A Hidden Magnetic Order

Professor Jairo Sinova, Dr. Libor Šmejkal, and Professor Tomas Jungwirth were honored for their collaborative work that identified and formalized this previously hidden form of collinear magnetism. Their breakthrough not only resolves theoretical mysteries but also opens up a vast new frontier for advanced electronics, spintronics, and quantum computing.

The familiar ferromagnets, like those that stick to refrigerator doors or drive electric motors, feature electron spins that align in the same direction, generating a macroscopic magnetic field. In contrast, antiferromagnets consist of opposing magnetic moments that cancel each other out, resulting in zero net external magnetism. For decades, physicists assumed these two categories covered all collinear magnetic possibilities.

Altermagnetism reveals a unique middle ground. In altermagnetic materials, the electron spins alternate in an antiparallel fashion, much like in an antiferromagnet, meaning they exhibit no net macroscopic magnetization. However, due to a specific crystalline symmetry and spatial orientation, they also display an unconventional spin splitting of electron states. This allows them to support highly spin-polarized currents, a useful property previously thought to be exclusive to conventional ferromagnets.

Transforming Future Technology

The practical implications of this discovery are massive for the future of information technology. Modern data centers and electronic devices consume vast amounts of energy, largely because standard ferromagnets are limited to operating at gigahertz frequencies. While antiferromagnets can operate a thousand times faster in the terahertz range, their signals are notoriously difficult to detect and manipulate.

Altermagnets unite the best of both worlds. By combining terahertz-speed dynamics with robust, easily detectable spin-polarized signals, they provide a physical foundation for ultra-fast, low-power memory and data processing. As noted by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where much of the initial theoretical framework was developed, this capability is viewed as essential for sustaining the exponential growth of artificial intelligence and global data connectivity without catastrophic energy costs.

Global Collaboration and Experimental Verification

The path to uncovering altermagnetism was rooted in a deeply international collaboration. Theoretical predictions first emerged between 2019 and 2021, spearheaded by Sinova's group at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Jungwirth's team at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Dr. Šmejkal, working extensively across both institutions, helped develop the systematic classification that ultimately predicted hundreds of potential altermagnetic materials.

Following those predictions, experimental physicists worldwide raced to confirm the existence of this third magnetic state. In recent years, advanced techniques such as angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) successfully verified altermagnetism in materials like manganese telluride and ruthenium dioxide. The rapid experimental validation of this research has led to an explosion of citations, making it one of the fastest-growing subfields in condensed matter physics today.

Editorial Takeaway: The awarding of the 2026 Europhysics Prize to Sinova, Šmejkal, and Jungwirth serves as a powerful reminder that foundational physics still harbors profound secrets. As engineers begin leveraging altermagnetic materials to design ultra-efficient spintronic devices, this third form of magnetism stands to transition rapidly from a textbook-rewriting novelty to the literal driving force behind our next generation of sustainable computing.