Non-magnetic material shows 'Anomalous Hall Effect' for the first time

Japanese physicists from the Tokyo Institute of Science and Technology have experimentally observed the Anomalous Hall Effect (AHE) in a nonmagnetic material—cadmium arsenide (Cd3As2)—for the first time, confirming longstanding theoretical predictions. Traditionally, AHE was believed to occur only in magnetic materials due to electron spin magnetization. However, the team demonstrated a large AHE signal in pure thin films of Cd3As2 by applying an in-plane magnetic field and carefully manipulating the electronic band structure to isolate the anomalous contribution from the ordinary Hall effect. This discovery overturns the assumption that AHE is exclusively spin-driven. The significance of this finding lies in the origin of the AHE in Cd3As2, which arises from orbital magnetization—the circular orbital motion of electrons—rather than spin magnetization typical of ferromagnets. This highlights the often-overlooked role of orbital effects in electron behavior and opens new avenues for both fundamental research and technological applications. Potential