La2O3Mn2Se2: A correlated insulating layered d-wave altermagnet
Altermagnets represent a new class of magnetic phases without net magnetization, invariant under a combination of rotation and time reversal. Unlike conventional collinear antiferromagnets (AFM), altermagnets could lead to new correlated states and important material properties deriving from their nonrelativistic spin-split band structure. Indeed, they serve as the magnetic analogue of unconventional superconductors and can yield spin-polarized electrical currents in the absence of external magnetic fields, making them promising candidates for next-generation spintronics. Here, we report altermagnetism in the correlated insulator, magnetically ordered tetragonal oxychalcogenide, La2O3Mn2Se2. Symmetry analysis reveals a dx2−y2 -wave-like spin-momentum locking arising from the Mn2O Lieb lattice, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Magnetic measurements confirm the AFM transition below∼166 K while neutron pair distribution function analysis reveals a 2D short-range magnetic order that persists above the Néel temperature. Single crystals are grown and characterized using x-ray diffraction, optical and electron microscopy, and micro-Raman spectroscopy to confirm the crystal structure, stoichiometry, and uniformity. Our findings establish La2O3Mn2Se2 as a model altermagnetic system realized on a Lieb lattice.
