MS-053: Altermagnetic, topological, and other unconventional magnetic materials and phenomena

Co-Chairs: Libor Smejkal & Tomas Jungwirth

Sponsoring Commission: Magnetic Structures

Co-Sponsoring Commission: Powder Diffraction

Supporting Commission: Crystallographic Computing

This microsymposium is dedicated to exploring new classes of magnets, including altermagnets and topological materials, which are difficult to understand solely on the basis of a diffraction pattern. These materials exhibit unique properties and require updated perspectives on magnetic symmetry and advanced characterization tools. Topologically equivalent states are connected through continuous deformation and remain protected against perturbations; such states can arise in both magnetic configurations and electronic structures. Altermagnets feature collinear, compensated magnetic sublattices that are related by rotation rather than translation or inversion, leading to non-relativistic spin-split bands.