Altermagnetism in Folded Iron Chain Systems

Overview & Synopsis

Altermagnetism, a moment-compensated magnetism with momentum-dependent spin splitting, has so far been realized primarily in Néel-type antiferromagnets. Here, we demonstrate altermagnetism in folded iron-chain systems with block-type magnetic order (e.g., $\uparrow \uparrow \downarrow \downarrow$). In the strictly one-dimensional (1D) case, altermagnetism is forbidden by the $[C_2||{\cal T}]$ symmetry, but it can emerge when such chains are stacked into a quasi-1D array. To generate altermagnetic spin splitting via this chain-stacking mechanism, two essential ingredients are required: a block-type spin order that spontaneously breaks the combined parity-time reversal symmetry, and finite inter-chain hopping. Using first-principles calculations, we identify the K$_3$Fe$_2$Se$_4$ family as a promising platform that realizes this mechanism, hosting a $d$-wave altermagnet even without lattice $C_{4}$ symmetry. Moreover, owing to its lower symmetry, the block-type folded chain exhibits an isotropic altermagnetic spin splitting, which may manifest as an altermagnetic wrapping effect. Our findings unify real-space block magnetism and reciprocal-space altermagnetism, establishing folded iron chains as a tunable platform for zero-moment spintronic applications.