Chiral Altermagnetic Second-Order Topological Phases and Sign-Reversible Transport

Abstract: Chiral materials are rare in nature, yet they play a fundamental role in modern physics due to their unconventional topological properties and transport responses. While chiral charge and structural orders have been extensively studied, chiral magnetic order -- particularly in altermagnets (AMs) -- remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that the experimentally well-characterized three-dimensional metal-organic framework K[Co(HCOO)$_3$] represents the first realization of a chiral second-order topological insulator with altermagnetic order. This system hosts $\emph{g}$-wave spin-split bands, controllable second-order topological states, and chirality-locked anomalous transport properties. Its second-order topological phase manifests as alternating spin-up and spin-down hinge modes along the boundaries of hexagonal nanotubes. Remarkably, these spin-polarized hinge states can be switched through lattice chiral inversion. Simultaneously, the anomalous Hall effect and magneto-optical effects exhibit reversed signs in left/right-handed enantiomers, substantiating a universal chirality-controlled response across both electronic and optical channels. Our results establish chiral AMs as a promising platform for non-volatile topological spintronics, opening new avenues for manipulating quantum transport via lattice chirality.