Diagnosing Altermagnetic Phases through Quantum Oscillations

Abstract

The recently delimited altermagnetic phase is characterized by zero net magnetization but momentum-dependent collinear spin-splitting. To explore the intriguing physical effects and potential applications of altermagnets, it is essential to analyze their Fermi surface properties, encompassing both configurations and spin textures. Here, we conduct a Fermiology study on metallic altermagnets and demonstrate that the collinear spin-split features of their Fermi surfaces can be clearly revealed through quantum oscillation measurements. By introducing a transverse Zeeman field to remove the spin-degenerate lines in the momentum space, the Fermi surface undergoes a Lifshitz transition, giving rise to spin-flipped cyclotron motion between orbits with opposite spins. Accordingly, the Lifshitz-Onsager quantization yields two sets of Landau levels, leading to frequency splitting of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in conductivity. In the presence of spin-orbit coupling, the Zeeman field causes two separate cyclotron orbits to merge at the Lifshitz transition point before splitting again. This results in the two original frequencies discontinuously changing into a single frequency equal to their sum. Our work unveils a unique and universal signature of altermagnetic Fermi surfaces that can be probed through quantum oscillation measurements.