科技科学

Atomic-scale spin sensing of a 2D d-wave altermagnet <i>via</i> helical tunneling

Nature正文已收录本站
  • Article
  • Published:
  • Shuikang Yu1 na1,
  • Xingkai Cheng  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6889-611X2,3 na1,
  • Xiaoyu Xiao4 na1,
  • Wanru Ma  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8390-21191,5,
  • Yitian Ma1,
  • Feixiong Quan1,
  • Hongxi Song1,
  • Kunming Zhang1,
  • Yunmei Zhang1,
  • Wenhao Liu  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9757-10776,
  • Priti Yadav6,
  • Haohao Sheng7,
  • Aifeng Wang  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2425-32598,
  • Xiangbiao Shi4,
  • Zhijun Wang  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2169-80687,
  • Qian Niu  ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0006-7181-83621,5,
  • Yang Gao  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9223-06331,5,
  • Bin Xiang  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8254-86404,5,
  • Junwei Liu  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8051-73492,3,
  • Zhenyu Wang  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4857-72341,5 &
  • …
  • Xianhui Chen  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6947-14071,5 

Nature (2026) Cite this article

We’re sharing this article early to provide faster access to peer-reviewed, accepted research. It is citable and carries a permanent DOI. This version is subject to further edits and will be replaced automatically by the final Version of Record. All legal disclaimers apply.

Abstract

Altermagnets simultaneously possess momentum-dependent nonrelativistic spin splitting and zero net magnetization (1-6). Their defining crystalline symmetry connects opposite-spin sublattices in real space and imposes alternating spin polarization on the symmetry-related electronic states in momentum space (1-3). Identifying such an order and its associated spin response therefore calls for atomic-scale spin-sensitive measurements in both real and momentum space, an experimental milestone yet to be achieved. Here we show that the helical edge modes of the higher-order topological insulator α-Bi4Br4 can serve as a spin-selective scanning tunnelling microscopy probe of the two-dimensional d-wave altermagnetic order in the surface layer of KV2Se2O. Atomically registered mapping reveals the spatial relationship between the two V sublattices and a density-wave lattice modulation, as well as real-space patterns consistent with the checkerboard antiferromagnetic order. Field-dependent spectroscopy further finds opposite energy shifts of the unidirectional quasiparticle excitations extending along two orthogonal crystal axes and a predominantly out-of-plane magnetic response. In momentum space, spin-sensitive quasiparticle interference imaging reveals a bias-reversing d-wave anisotropy between the symmetry-paired X and Y valleys. These results provide converging evidence for two-dimensional d-wave altermagnetism on the surface of KV2Se2O and demonstrate helical-edge-mode tunnelling as a route for atomic-scale spin sensing in quantum materials.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

27,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscription info for Chinese customers

We have a dedicated website for our Chinese customers. Please go to naturechina.com to subscribe to this journal.

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Zhuying Wang, Shuikang Yu, Xingkai Cheng, Xiaoyu Xiao

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China

    Zhuying Wang, Shuikang Yu, Wanru Ma, Yitian Ma, Feixiong Quan, Hongxi Song, Kunming Zhang, Yunmei Zhang, Qian Niu, Yang Gao, Zhenyu Wang & Xianhui Chen

  2. Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

    Xingkai Cheng & Junwei Liu

  3. IAS Center for Quantum Matter, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

    Xingkai Cheng & Junwei Liu

  4. Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China

    Xiaoyu Xiao, Xiangbiao Shi & Bin Xiang

  5. Hefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China

    Wanru Ma, Qian Niu, Yang Gao, Bin Xiang, Zhenyu Wang & Xianhui Chen

  6. Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA

    Wenhao Liu & Priti Yadav

  7. Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Haohao Sheng & Zhijun Wang

  8. Low Temperature Physics Laboratory, College of Physics and Center of Quantum Materials and Devices, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China

    Aifeng Wang

Authors

  1. Zhuying Wang
  2. Shuikang Yu
  3. Xingkai Cheng
  4. Xiaoyu Xiao
  5. Wanru Ma
  6. Yitian Ma
  7. Feixiong Quan
  8. Hongxi Song
  9. Kunming Zhang
  10. Yunmei Zhang
  11. Wenhao Liu
  12. Priti Yadav
  13. Haohao Sheng
  14. Aifeng Wang
  15. Xiangbiao Shi
  16. Zhijun Wang
  17. Qian Niu
  18. Yang Gao
  19. Bin Xiang
  20. Junwei Liu
  21. Zhenyu Wang
  22. Xianhui Chen

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bin Xiang, Junwei Liu, Zhenyu Wang or Xianhui Chen.

Supplementary information

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, Z., Yu, S., Cheng, X. et al. Atomic-scale spin sensing of a 2D d-wave altermagnet via helical tunneling. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11257-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11257-1