Physicists discover new magnetic form and win major prize
Three scientists won a major physics prize for finding a new magnetic state known as altermagnetism.
Professor Jairo Sinova and his colleagues established this distinct magnetic order that challenges long-held views on how magnetic materials behave in nature today. This significant finding overturns a scientific understanding that had remained unchanged for over a hundred years of research.
The European Physical Society awarded the 2026 Europhysics Prize to these researchers for their work defining this third fundamental category of collinear magnetism clearly. Their discovery opens new possibilities for developing advanced electronics and future computing technologies based on quantum materials.
Dr. Libor Šmejkal spent eight years at Mainz University developing the theoretical framework that identifies this previously unrecognized pattern of magnetic behavior effectively. He combined advanced mathematical approaches to symmetry with spintronics to help the team identify this unique electronic property successfully.
Experimental teams worldwide soon tested these predictions using measurements of electrical transport and electronic properties in multiple different materials globally. These results confirmed the new magnetic classification and helped altermagnetism grow into a very busy field within condensed matter physics now.