Thermodynamic and transport properties of high-quality single crystals of the altermagnet CrSb

Altermagnons are collective spin excitations in altermagnets, characterized by anisotropic magnon dispersions. The altermagnet CrSb has emerged as a compelling material owing to its substantial spin-splitting energy. Here, the authors report on the growth of high-quality CrSb single crystals and investigate their thermodynamic and transport properties. A large positive magnetoresistance of nearly 80% is observed at 3.5 K. Interestingly, the room-temperature specific heat exceeds the Dulong-Petit limit, attributed to a broad altermagnon contribution with an energy gap of ~16 ±{} 1 meV. These findings highlight the potential of CrSb for room-temperature magnonic and spintronic applications.