Brief
Physicists awarded 2026 Europhysics Prize for discovering altermagnetism
Jairo Sinova, Libor Šmejkal and Tomas Jungwirth were honored for defining altermagnetism, the third category of collinear magnetism.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Three physicists have been named winners of the 2026 Europhysics Prize for their work establishing altermagnetism, a newly identified form of collinear magnetism that joins ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism.
What happened
The European Physical Society Condensed Matter Division announced the award on 18 October 2026, naming Professor Jairo Sinova of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Dr Libor Šmejkal, and Professor Tomas Jungwirth of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Their research demonstrated that a distinct magnetic order, now called altermagnetism, exists alongside the two long‑standing categories.
What the reports add
ScienceDaily reported that the discovery overturns more than a century of magnetic theory and opens new avenues for quantum‑material research, advanced electronics and future computing technologies. The article notes that the theoretical framework was built by combining symmetry analysis with spintronics, and that experimental teams worldwide have since provided transport‑measurement evidence supporting the new classification.
What was said
Professor Sinova, quoted by ScienceDaily, said: “This award recognizes a fundamental discovery that challenged one of the most established paradigms in condensed matter physics.” He added that uncovering a hidden magnetic phase after a hundred years shows that even mature fields can still hold surprises.
How it came about
The breakthrough resulted from a long‑term collaboration between Sinova’s group at Mainz and Jungwirth’s team in Prague. Dr Šmejkal spent eight years (2016‑2024) at Mainz, first as a PhD student and later as a post‑doctoral researcher, leading the theoretical development of altermagnetism. Their predictions quickly attracted experimental verification, prompting a rapid expansion of research activity across Europe, North America and Asia.
Key facts
- The 2026 Europhysics Prize was awarded to Jairo Sinova, Libor Šmejkal and Tomas Jungwirth. (sciencedaily.com)
- Their work identified altermagnetism as a third category of collinear magnetism. (sciencedaily.com)
- Altermagnetism expands possibilities for quantum materials, advanced electronics and future computing. (sciencedaily.com)
- The discovery challenges over a century‑old magnetic classification of only ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. (sciencedaily.com)
- Dr Šmejkal worked at Mainz from 2016 to 2024, contributing the theoretical framework. (sciencedaily.com)
Sources
- [1] sciencedaily.com — originally reported as “Scientists who discovered a third form of magnetism win major physics prize”
