Communications Physics (Sep 2023)

Evidence of pseudogravitational distortions of the Fermi surface geometry in the antiferromagnetic metal FeRh

  • Joseph Sklenar,
  • Soho Shim,
  • Hilal Saglam,
  • Junseok Oh,
  • M. G. Vergniory,
  • Axel Hoffmann,
  • Barry Bradlyn,
  • Nadya Mason,
  • Matthew J. Gilbert

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01335-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract The confluence between high-energy physics and condensed matter has produced groundbreaking results via unexpected connections between the two traditionally disparate areas. In this work, we elucidate additional connectivity between high-energy and condensed matter physics by examining the interplay between spin-orbit interactions and local symmetry-breaking magnetic order in the magnetotransport of thin-film magnetic semimetal FeRh. We show that the change in sign of the normalized longitudinal magnetoresistance observed as a function of increasing in-plane magnetic field results from changes in the Fermi surface morphology. We demonstrate that the geometric distortions in the Fermi surface morphology are more clearly understood via the presence of pseudogravitational fields in the low-energy theory. The pseudogravitational connection provides additional insights into the origins of a ubiquitous phenomenon observed in many common magnetic materials and points to an alternative methodology for understanding phenomena in locally-ordered materials with strong spin-orbit interactions.