Physchem.cz

Unconventional magnetic phases, particularly altermagnets, have recently been recognized as a big breakthrough in 2024 (Science Magazine), opening a new frontier in condensed matter physics and materials science. Since the pioneering work by Šmejkal, Sinova, and Jungwirth (2022), these systems have attracted rapidly growing interest due to their momentum-dependent spin splitting and nodal spin textures, despite a fully compensated magnetization. Their unique symmetry and electronic structure suggest fundamentally new non-equilibrium responses under ultrafast light excitation, a regime that remains largely unexplored. We investigate emergent ultrafast phenomena arising from the interplay of spin, charge, and lattice degrees of freedom, and explore how light can be used to probe and control these dynamics.