Transport Evidence of Magnetic Polarization in the Altermagnetic Candidate MnTe

Abstract

The ability to precisely control magnetic properties is central to the development of future spin-based electronics. In this work, we report the successful growth of epitaxial α-MnTe thin films on InP(111) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Magneto-transport measurements at low temperatures reveal a distinct, hysteretic butterfly longitudinal magnetoresistance alongside a nonlinear transverse magneto-resistance response, suggesting the presence of a finite net magnetic polarization in the films. To understand the origin of this behavior, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed. While pristine bulk MnTe is a compensated antiferromagnet, our computational results suggest multiple pathways through which a finite magnetization can emerge in thin-film geometries, including interface-induced symmetry breaking and point defects. These findings demonstrate an epitaxial route for engineering magnetic responses in thin films.