Prestigious EPS Europhysics Prize Awarded to Czech Physicists

On September 22, Libor Šmejkal, Jairo Sinova, and Tomáš Jungwirth were awarded the 2026 Europhysics Prize by the European Physical Society for their outstanding contributions to condensed matter physics, specifically for their discovery of altermagnetism, the third fundamental class of magnetic order. All three laureates were affiliated with the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences at the time of their discoveries and the publication of their award-winning works. This is the first time that the EPS Europhysics Prize has been awarded to Czech scientists.

The prize is awarded for their groundbreaking work, which demonstrated that, in addition to ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, a third fundamental form of magnetism exists in nature. This discovery overturns a more than century-old understanding of magnetic order and has opened up an entirely new field of research with significant implications for quantum materials, condensed matter physics, and future information technologies. 

In 2019, the laureates reported that the existing description of magnetic order had overlooked an entire class of states that have zero total magnetization but simultaneously exhibit unconventional ferromagnetic properties, including low-loss currents and a specific spin splitting of electron states. This splitting is related to the material’s crystal symmetry and arises without inducing macroscopic magnetization. In 2021, they developed a systematic classification of magnetic phases of matter, which revealed the existence of altermagnetism and led to the identification of hundreds of potential materials. 

The theoretical predictions quickly inspired experimental physicists around the world. The laureates collaborated on the first experimental confirmations. The existence of altermagnetic states was gradually confirmed by various methods, including spectroscopic measurements and electrical transport. Within a few years, the original theoretical idea gave rise to distinct and rapidly expanding fields of research, involving teams in Europe, North America, and Asia. 

This discovery thus represents a breakthrough in fundamental physics, but it also holds groundbreaking technological potential. Modern electronics increasingly utilizes not only the charge of electrons but also their spin, enabling the creation of devices that are faster and more energy-efficient and that process information in an entirely new way. For decades, ferromagnets and antiferromagnets have been the fundamental building blocks of research into magnetism and spintronics. Ferromagnets can generate spin-polarized currents essential for the operation of current spintronic technologies. At the same time, however, they generate stray magnetic fields that limit their further miniaturization and speed. Antiferromagnets do not generate stray magnetic fields and can operate at ultrafast terahertz frequencies. However, they generally cannot generate spin-polarized electric currents, and their magnetic state cannot be easily controlled electrically, which limits their use in spintronics. 

Altermagnets combine the best of both worlds. They have no net magnetization, so there is no magnetic interference with neighboring components. At the same time, they naturally generate strongly spin-polarized currents and can operate at terahertz frequencies. Thanks to these properties, they pave the way for ultra-fast and exceptionally energy-efficient computer memories and hold significant potential for future high-performance computers and artificial intelligence hardware. 

“The discovery and conceptual development of altermagnetism have been led by European researchers, establishing Europe as the birthplace of this emerging field. The breakthrough has since stimulated rapidly growing research efforts worldwide, including major initiatives in the United States, Japan, and across Asia,” the European Physical Society commented on the award.   

EPS Europhysics Prize

The prize has been awarded since 1975 (this year marks its 42^nd edition) and is one of the most prestigious European awards in the field of condensed matter physics. The award was presented at a ceremony on September 22, 2026, at the EPS Condensed Matter Division conference in Graz. The EPS Europhysics Prize is awarded in recognition of a significant and clearly identifiable discovery, breakthrough or contribution in the field of condensed matter physics that, in the opinion of the selection committee, represents scientific excellence. The prize honors research whose significant portion has been conducted in Europe.

Libor Šmejkal is a Czech theoretical and experimental physicist affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden, and with the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. After conducting doctoral research at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, he earned his Ph.D. from Charles University. His research focuses on quantum solid-state physics, magnetism, and spintronics. He was awarded the prestigious ERC Starting Grant; in 2023, he received the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough Award in the physical sciences category; and in 2025, he was awarded the Walter Schottky Prize of the German Physical Society.

Tomáš Jungwirth is a Czech physicist working at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, and as a Distinguished Professor at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. He is among the world’s leading experts in the fields of spintronics, magnetic materials, and quantum solid-state physics. He is one of the most cited Czech scientists and has received numerous prestigious awards for his scientific achievements; he is a laureate of the 2024 “Česká hlava” National Government Award and the 2018 Neuron Award for a significant scientific discovery in physics. He is also the recipient of two ERC Advanced Grants and has long been dedicated to linking basic physics research with potential technological applications. In 2025, the President of the Czech Republic awarded him the Medal of Merit for his contributions to science.

Jairo Sinova is a Spanish-American theoretical physicist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, where he leads a research group focused on spintronics and serves as director of the Spin Phenomena Interdisciplinary Center (SPICE). He also serves as a Senior Professor at Texas A&M University. He is the recipient of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Professorship and was awarded an ERC Synergy Grant in 2014. He is a member of the American Physical Society. He worked at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences for many years, including the period during which his award-winning work on altermagnetism was carried out.

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