Atomistic spin dynamics simulations of magnonic spin Seebeck and spin Nernst effects in altermagnets

Abstract

Magnon band structures in altermagnets are characterized by an energy splitting of modes with opposite chirality, even in the absence of applied external fields and relativistic effects, because of an anisotropy in the Heisenberg exchange interactions. We perform quantitative atomistic spin dynamics simulations based on ab initio electronic structure calculations on rutile RuO2, a prototypical “d-wave” altermagnet, to study magnon currents generated by thermal gradients. We report substantial spin Seebeck and spin Nernst effects, i.e., longitudinal or transverse spin currents, depending on the propagation direction of the magnons with respect to the crystal, together with a finite spin accumulation associated with nonlinearities in the temperature profile. Our findings are consistent with the altermagnetic spin-group symmetry, as well as predictions from linear spin-wave theory and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory.