Altermagnetic Spin Precession and Spin Transistor

Abstract: Altermagnets hold great potential for spintronic applications, yet their intrinsic spin dynamics and associated transport properties remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate spin-resolved quantum transport in a multi-terminal setup based on a $d$-wave altermagnet. It is found that the altermagnetic spin splitting in momentum space induces an interesting spin precession in real space, giving rise to characteristic spin patterns. This altermagnetic spin precession manifests as a spatial modulation of the Hall voltage, whose oscillation period provides a direct measure of the spin-splitting strength. When the altermagnetism is electrically tunable, the proposed setup functions as a prototype for a highly efficient spin transistor. The key physical effects are shown to be robust against dephasing and crystalline warping. Our work not only identifies a fingerprint signature of altermagnets, offering a direct probe of the altermagnetic spin splitting, but also represents an important step toward bridging their fundamental physics with practical spintronic applications.