The AMSwitch project aims to develop a completely new kind of logic switch using altermagnets—a recently discovered class of magnetic materials. Altermagnets have no overall magnetization, yet they can still show an anomalous Hall effect. This unusual combination means they can store information in their magnetic order while allowing that information to be read electrically, without needing conventional spin‑to‑charge conversion. Because of this, AMSwitch devices could operate with extremely low energy usage, with each switching event consuming less than 1 attojoule—close to the fundamental quantum limit.

The project investigates two complementary device concepts:

1. A field‑effect altermagnet switch, where applying a small gate voltage (around 0.1 V) changes the material’s Berry curvature and allows control of its state.
2. A current-driven switch, where a spin‑polarized current flips the altermagnet’s Néel vector by 180°, reversing the anomalous Hall response and enabling compact logic inverters suitable for majority‑logic circuits.

Altermagnets represent a rapidly developing research area and offer strong resistance to stray magnetic fields, improving the stability and security of devices—important for ultra‑low‑power edge computing. Their nonvolatile nature also makes them attractive for integration with ferroelectric gates, enabling reconfigurable and energy‑efficient logic systems.