DATE2026.01.07 #Press Releases
Current-Induced Electronic Nematicity Demonstrated in an Antiferromagnet
-First Observation as an Electrically Detectable Resistance Change with Potential for Electronics Applications-
Summary
In recent years, antiferromagnets without spontaneous magnetization have attracted growing attention for next-generation device applications due to their robustness against external magnetic fields. Most current developments have focused on antiferromagnets in which only time-reversal symmetry is broken, similar to conventional ferromagnets.
In contrast, antiferromagnets that simultaneously break both time-reversal and spatial inversion symmetries are expected to host fundamentally different electronic states from those in ferromagnets, giving rise to novel principles of electrical transport. However, experimental evidence for such phenomena has so far remained elusive.
A research team led by Professor Hideaki Sakai of the Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University (at the time of research: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University), Yuya Miyamoto (at the time of research: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University), and Motoki Kimata, Deputy Principal Researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (at the time of research: Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University), has successfully detected a previously unobserved phenomenon in the antiferromagnet SrMnBi₂, which lacks both time-reversal and spatial inversion symmetries.
The team found that electrons show the anisotropic transport property under an electric current, forming a liquid-crystal-like electronic state.
This novel electronic nematicity was detected for the first time as a diode-like component in the electric resistivity.
Furthermore, by controlling the antiferromagnetic order using electric current and magnetic field, the researchers succeeded in reversing the polarity of the diode response.
This switchable phenomenon holds promise for applications in innovative electronic devices, such as nonvolatile memory and rectifying elements.
This work was published online in Nature Communications at 10:00 (UK time) on January 7, 2026.
This study was conducted in collaboration with Assistant Professor Hikaru Watanabe of the Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo (at the time of research; currently with the Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University), Professor Yoichi Yanase of the Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Associate Professor Masayuki Ochi of the Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Masaki Kondo (at the time a graduate student; currently with the Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo), Assistant Professor Hiroshi Murakawa, and Professor Tokunori Hanasaki.
Figure：Emergence of superconductivity in thin films with integer-ratio lattice matching and suppressed strain
By cooling the sample from room temperature under both electric current and magnetic field, the polarity of the diode component is switched, as indicated by peaks and dips of AMR profiles. The switching behavior provides evidence for control of the antiferromagnetic state of Mn, as illustrated schematically on the right.
Links
Tohoku University, Osaka University, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kyoto University
Journals
-
Journal name Nature CommunicationsTitle of paper