Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV3Sb5

Yu Xiao Jiang; Jia Xin Yin; M. Michael Denner; Nana Shumiya; Brenden R. Ortiz; Gang Xu; Zurab Guguchia; Junyi He; Md Shafayat Hossain; Xiaoxiong Liu; Jacob Ruff; Linus Kautzsch; Songtian S. Zhang; Guoqing Chang; Ilya Belopolski; Qi Zhang; Tyler A. Cochran; Daniel Multer; Maksim Litskevich; Zi Jia Cheng; Xian P. Yang; Ziqiang Wang; Ronny Thomale; Titus Neupert; Stephen D. Wilson; M. Zahid Hasan

doi:10.1038/s41563-021-01034-y

Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV₃Sb₅

Yu Xiao Jiang, Jia Xin Yin, M. Michael Denner, Nana Shumiya, Brenden R. Ortiz, Gang Xu, Zurab Guguchia, Junyi He, Md Shafayat Hossain, Xiaoxiong Liu, Jacob Ruff, Linus Kautzsch, Songtian S. Zhang, Guoqing Chang, Ilya Belopolski, Qi Zhang, Tyler A. Cochran, Daniel Multer, Maksim Litskevich, Zi Jia ChengXian P. Yang, Ziqiang Wang, Ronny Thomale, Titus Neupert, Stephen D. Wilson, M. Zahid Hasan

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Abstract

Intertwining quantum order and non-trivial topology is at the frontier of condensed matter physics^1–4. A charge-density-wave-like order with orbital currents has been proposed for achieving the quantum anomalous Hall effect^5,6 in topological materials and for the hidden phase in cuprate high-temperature superconductors^7,8. However, the experimental realization of such an order is challenging. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy to discover an unconventional chiral charge order in a kagome material, KV₃Sb₅, with both a topological band structure and a superconducting ground state. Through both topography and spectroscopic imaging, we observe a robust 2 × 2 superlattice. Spectroscopically, an energy gap opens at the Fermi level, across which the 2 × 2 charge modulation exhibits an intensity reversal in real space, signalling charge ordering. At the impurity-pinning-free region, the strength of intrinsic charge modulations further exhibits chiral anisotropy with unusual magnetic field response. Theoretical analysis of our experiments suggests a tantalizing unconventional chiral charge density wave in the frustrated kagome lattice, which can not only lead to a large anomalous Hall effect with orbital magnetism, but also be a precursor of unconventional superconductivity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1353-1357
Number of pages	5
Journal	Nature Materials
Volume	20
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01034-y
State	Published - Oct 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

We thank Q Wang for stimulating discussions. Experimental and theoretical work at Princeton University was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF4547 and GBMF9461; M.Z.H.). The material characterization is supported by the US Department of Energy under the Basic Energy Sciences programme (grant no. DOE/BES DE-FG-02-05ER46200). S.D.W. and B.R.O. acknowledge support from the University of California Santa Barbara Quantum Foundry, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF DMR-1906325). Research reported here also made use of shared facilities of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at University of California Santa Barbara (NSF DMR-1720256). B.R.O. also acknowledges support from the California NanoSystems Institute through the Elings fellowship programme. R.T. is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) through project ID 258499086 – SFB 1170 and through the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence on Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter (ct.qmat) project ID 390858490 – EXC 2147. T.N. acknowledges supports from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERC-StG-Neupert-757867-PARATOP). Work at Boston College was supported by the US Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences grant number DE-FG02-99ER45747. T.A.C. was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under grant no. DGE-1656466. Research conducted at the Center for High Energy X-ray Sciences is supported by the National Science Foundation under award DMR-1829070. G.C. would like to acknowledge the support of the National Research Foundation, Singapore under its Fellowship Award (NRF-NRFF13-2021-0010) and the Nanyang Assistant Professorship grant from Nanyang Technological University. G.X. was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFA0307000) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11874022).

Funders	Funder number
Basic Energy Sciences programme	DOE/BES DE-FG-02-05ER46200
California NanoSystems Institute
University of California Santa Barbara Quantum Foundry
National Science Foundation	DMR-1829070, DGE-1656466, DMR-1906325
U.S. Department of Energy
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation	GBMF9461, GBMF4547
Basic Energy Sciences	DE-FG02-99ER45747
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	ERC-StG-Neupert-757867-PARATOP
National Research Foundation Singapore	NRF-NRFF13-2021-0010
Nanyang Technological University
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft	258499086 – SFB 1170, 390858490 – EXC 2147
National Natural Science Foundation of China	11874022
National Key Research and Development Program of China	2018YFA0307000

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Jiang, Y. X., Yin, J. X., Denner, M. M., Shumiya, N., Ortiz, B. R., Xu, G., Guguchia, Z., He, J., Hossain, M. S., Liu, X., Ruff, J., Kautzsch, L., Zhang, S. S., Chang, G., Belopolski, I., Zhang, Q., Cochran, T. A., Multer, D., Litskevich, M., ... Hasan, M. Z. (2021). Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV₃Sb₅. Nature Materials, 20(10), 1353-1357. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01034-y

@article{5d2ad96240ae482aa5e740f7e902e341,

title = "Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV3Sb5",

abstract = "Intertwining quantum order and non-trivial topology is at the frontier of condensed matter physics1–4. A charge-density-wave-like order with orbital currents has been proposed for achieving the quantum anomalous Hall effect5,6 in topological materials and for the hidden phase in cuprate high-temperature superconductors7,8. However, the experimental realization of such an order is challenging. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy to discover an unconventional chiral charge order in a kagome material, KV3Sb5, with both a topological band structure and a superconducting ground state. Through both topography and spectroscopic imaging, we observe a robust 2 × 2 superlattice. Spectroscopically, an energy gap opens at the Fermi level, across which the 2 × 2 charge modulation exhibits an intensity reversal in real space, signalling charge ordering. At the impurity-pinning-free region, the strength of intrinsic charge modulations further exhibits chiral anisotropy with unusual magnetic field response. Theoretical analysis of our experiments suggests a tantalizing unconventional chiral charge density wave in the frustrated kagome lattice, which can not only lead to a large anomalous Hall effect with orbital magnetism, but also be a precursor of unconventional superconductivity.",

author = "Jiang, {Yu Xiao} and Yin, {Jia Xin} and Denner, {M. Michael} and Nana Shumiya and Ortiz, {Brenden R.} and Gang Xu and Zurab Guguchia and Junyi He and Hossain, {Md Shafayat} and Xiaoxiong Liu and Jacob Ruff and Linus Kautzsch and Zhang, {Songtian S.} and Guoqing Chang and Ilya Belopolski and Qi Zhang and Cochran, {Tyler A.} and Daniel Multer and Maksim Litskevich and Cheng, {Zi Jia} and Yang, {Xian P.} and Ziqiang Wang and Ronny Thomale and Titus Neupert and Wilson, {Stephen D.} and Hasan, {M. Zahid}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

year = "2021",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1038/s41563-021-01034-y",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

pages = "1353--1357",

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Jiang, YX, Yin, JX, Denner, MM, Shumiya, N, Ortiz, BR, Xu, G, Guguchia, Z, He, J, Hossain, MS, Liu, X, Ruff, J, Kautzsch, L, Zhang, SS, Chang, G, Belopolski, I, Zhang, Q, Cochran, TA, Multer, D, Litskevich, M, Cheng, ZJ, Yang, XP, Wang, Z, Thomale, R, Neupert, T, Wilson, SD & Hasan, MZ 2021, 'Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV₃Sb₅', Nature Materials, vol. 20, no. 10, pp. 1353-1357. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01034-y

TY - JOUR

T1 - Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV3Sb5

AU - Jiang, Yu Xiao

AU - Yin, Jia Xin

AU - Denner, M. Michael

AU - Shumiya, Nana

AU - Ortiz, Brenden R.

AU - Xu, Gang

AU - Guguchia, Zurab

AU - He, Junyi

AU - Hossain, Md Shafayat

AU - Liu, Xiaoxiong

AU - Ruff, Jacob

AU - Kautzsch, Linus

AU - Zhang, Songtian S.

AU - Chang, Guoqing

AU - Belopolski, Ilya

AU - Zhang, Qi

AU - Cochran, Tyler A.

AU - Multer, Daniel

AU - Litskevich, Maksim

AU - Cheng, Zi Jia

AU - Yang, Xian P.

AU - Wang, Ziqiang

AU - Thomale, Ronny

AU - Neupert, Titus

AU - Wilson, Stephen D.

AU - Hasan, M. Zahid

PY - 2021/10

Y1 - 2021/10

N2 - Intertwining quantum order and non-trivial topology is at the frontier of condensed matter physics1–4. A charge-density-wave-like order with orbital currents has been proposed for achieving the quantum anomalous Hall effect5,6 in topological materials and for the hidden phase in cuprate high-temperature superconductors7,8. However, the experimental realization of such an order is challenging. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy to discover an unconventional chiral charge order in a kagome material, KV3Sb5, with both a topological band structure and a superconducting ground state. Through both topography and spectroscopic imaging, we observe a robust 2 × 2 superlattice. Spectroscopically, an energy gap opens at the Fermi level, across which the 2 × 2 charge modulation exhibits an intensity reversal in real space, signalling charge ordering. At the impurity-pinning-free region, the strength of intrinsic charge modulations further exhibits chiral anisotropy with unusual magnetic field response. Theoretical analysis of our experiments suggests a tantalizing unconventional chiral charge density wave in the frustrated kagome lattice, which can not only lead to a large anomalous Hall effect with orbital magnetism, but also be a precursor of unconventional superconductivity.

AB - Intertwining quantum order and non-trivial topology is at the frontier of condensed matter physics1–4. A charge-density-wave-like order with orbital currents has been proposed for achieving the quantum anomalous Hall effect5,6 in topological materials and for the hidden phase in cuprate high-temperature superconductors7,8. However, the experimental realization of such an order is challenging. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy to discover an unconventional chiral charge order in a kagome material, KV3Sb5, with both a topological band structure and a superconducting ground state. Through both topography and spectroscopic imaging, we observe a robust 2 × 2 superlattice. Spectroscopically, an energy gap opens at the Fermi level, across which the 2 × 2 charge modulation exhibits an intensity reversal in real space, signalling charge ordering. At the impurity-pinning-free region, the strength of intrinsic charge modulations further exhibits chiral anisotropy with unusual magnetic field response. Theoretical analysis of our experiments suggests a tantalizing unconventional chiral charge density wave in the frustrated kagome lattice, which can not only lead to a large anomalous Hall effect with orbital magnetism, but also be a precursor of unconventional superconductivity.

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U2 - 10.1038/s41563-021-01034-y

DO - 10.1038/s41563-021-01034-y

M3 - Article

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AN - SCOPUS:85107519788

SN - 1476-1122

VL - 20

SP - 1353

EP - 1357

JO - Nature Materials

JF - Nature Materials

IS - 10

ER -

Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV₃Sb₅

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