Science
Three physicists win 2026 Europhysics Prize for altermagnetism discovery
ScienceDaily reports that Jairo Sinova, Libor Šmejkal and Tomas Jungwirth were honored for establishing altermagnetism as a third magnetic order.
The short version
- Jairo Sinova, Libor Šmejkal and Tomas Jungwirth were named 2026 Europhysics Prize recipients for establishing altermagnetism.[ScienceDaily]
- Altermagnetism is described as a third basic type of magnetic order, alongside ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism.[ScienceDaily]
- Its reported properties suggest possible spintronic uses, which remain prospective rather than demonstrated.[ScienceDaily]
- The award ceremony was scheduled for September 2026 in Graz, Austria; ScienceDaily does not confirm it took place.[ScienceDaily]
Key facts
- Jairo Sinova, Libor Šmejkal and Tomas Jungwirth were awarded the 2026 Europhysics Prize for discovering altermagnetism.[ScienceDaily]
- Altermagnetism is described as a third fundamental form of collinear magnetism alongside ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism.[ScienceDaily]
- The Europhysics Prize was established in 1975 and honors discoveries that have significantly advanced condensed matter physics.[ScienceDaily]
- The award ceremony was scheduled for September 2026 at the 32nd European Physical Society Condensed Matter Division conference in Graz, Austria.[ScienceDaily]
- A 2022 symmetry classification identified hundreds of candidate materials, and later experiments confirmed altermagnetic behavior in several materials.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- Potential applications in computing, electronics and spintronics are prospective; the reporting does not describe working devices.[ScienceDaily]
- The reporting does not confirm whether the September 2026 award ceremony took place as scheduled.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Scientists who discovered a third form of magnetism win major physics prizeScienceDaily - Science