Nodal Topological Superconductivity Driven by Crystalline Antiunitary Symmetry in Altermagnets

Abstract

Topological superconductivity hosts protected quasiparticles and is central to topological quantum computation, yet its realization in intrinsic materials remains challenging and often relies on engineered platforms. Here we uncover a symmetry-constrained mechanism for nodal topological superconductivity in altermagnets. Focusing on fourfold rotational collinear altermagnets, we show that the native crystalline antiunitary symmetry $\mathcal{T}C_{4z}$ generically forbids pure spin-singlet pairing and selects pairing structures that admit Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) Hamiltonians with emergent chiral symmetries. These symmetries further give rise to robust nodal topological phases over broad parameter regimes, including a nodal-point phase hosting Majorana flat bands (MFBs) and two distinct nodal-loop phases with chiral Majorana edge states. Notably, the nodal structure persists even after spontaneous breaking of the antiunitary symmetry, indicating that the topology originates from symmetry-constrained pairing rather than direct symmetry protection. Finally, we propose tunneling signatures that can distinguish these nodal phases and probe symmetry breaking experimentally.