A domestic research team has presented a groundbreaking turning point in the development of next-generation semiconductor materials. The research team of Professor Hong Ji-sang of Pukyong National University has confirmed ferroelectric properties and spintronics device application possibilities in an altered magnet material using manganese oxide (MnO). This study theoretically elucidated the high-efficiency ferroelectric properties with high electric polarization and low switching energy for the first time, opening up new possibilities for future semiconductor technology.
Unlike conventional antiferromagnets, altermagnets have a unique electronic structure in which the spin polarization bands are split in momentum space. The research team analyzed these magnetic and electrical properties through first-principles calculations in the bulk form of Mn and suggested the possibility that they could exhibit superior ferroelectric properties than perovskite-based materials.
MnO shows the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional ferroelectric materials with high electric polarization and low switching energy. It is expected to be utilized in various high-efficiency electronic devices such as semiconductor devices as well as piezoelectric devices.
Professor Hong said, “This study is an important achievement that theoretically proves the potential of alter magnets as multifunctional devices,” and added, “We will activate related research through experimental verification and device performance tests based on theoretical research.”
The results of this study were published in the international academic journal Materials Horizons on January 17, 2025.
MnO-based alter magnets are expected to be an important driving force for innovation in the semiconductor industry as multifunctional, high-efficiency materials for ferroelectrics, spintronics, and piezoelectric elements.
The title of the paper is “Coexistence of alter magnetism and robust ferroelectricity in bulk MnO wurtzite structure.”