{
  "abstract": "Altermagnetism combines vanishing net magnetization with momentum-dependent spin splitting. While altermagnetic signatures have been identified in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), non-invasive reversible control remains challenging. Here we report a route to electric-field-switchable altermagnetism in a flexible d0-MOF, in which polar substituents couple the external field to ligand rotation. In the planar ground state, pz orbitals mediate 180-degree ligand-metal-ligand superexchange (J2), stabilizing antiferromagnetic order. Rotating ligands out of plane activates px/py orbitals, enhances 90-degree pathways (J1), and reverses J1/J2 competition. The antiferromagnetic-to-altermagnetic crossover occurs at approx. 34 degrees, with spin splitting of 84 meV at 90 degrees. The 90-degree altermagnetic state is switched on by the electric field and switched off upon field removal, as the constrained-rotation landscape decreases monotonically back toward 0 degrees, enabling barrierless relaxation to the antiferromagnetic state and reversible on/off operation. Ab initio molecular dynamics at 300 K shows thermal fluctuations alone cannot synchronize ligand rotation. Polar substituents provide the required coupling for electric-field control; for fluorinated substituents, the critical field is approx. 0.22 V/Angstrom, comparable to field-effect devices. This work establishes ligand p orbitals, rather than transition-metal d orbitals, as the origin of altermagnetic order and shows that polar substituents enable electric-field control for organic spintronics.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2609.16749",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Hongjing Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xiuling Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xiaojun Wu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cwqp5wsb3hq9x.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2609.16749",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "cwqp5wsb3hq9x",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16749",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mtrl-sci"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3107|Magnetic properties of thin films"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213437191",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.16749",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-12",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cwqp5wsb3hq9x.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:29:06Z",
      "native_id": "2609.16749",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16749"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mtrl-sci",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Electric-Field-Switchable Altermagnetism via Ligand Rotation in a d0 Metal-Organic Framework",
  "title_text": "Electric-Field-Switchable Altermagnetism via Ligand Rotation in a d0 Metal-Organic Framework",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:29:06Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cwqp5wsb3hq9x",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}