Altermagnetism discovery earns three physicists the 2026 Europhysics Prize

Three physicists have won the 2026 Europhysics Prize for discovering altermagnetism, a third form of magnetism challenging over a century of established physics and potentially transforming future computing and electronics. Professors Jairo Sinova, Tomas Jungwirth, and Dr. Libor Šmejkal were honored by the European Physical Society for establishing altermagnetism as distinct from ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. Their theoretical predictions, published in 2022, were confirmed experimentally by teams worldwide. Altermagnets combine antiferromagnets' zero net magnetization with ferromagnet-like electron properties, enabling rapid magnetic dynamics and spin-polarized currents. The discovery has opened new research frontiers in quantum materials, with hundreds of papers published and the award ceremony held in September 2026 in Graz, Austria.