Coexistence of Multiple Stacking Charge Density Waves in Kagome Superconductor ${\mathrm{CsV}}_3{\mathrm{Sb}}_5$

TL;DR

This study reveals the coexistence of multiple stacking charge density wave phases in the Kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5, elucidating their competition, temperature evolution, and metastable states through combined experimental and theoretical approaches.

Contribution

It demonstrates the coexistence and competition of different CDW stacking phases in CsV3Sb5 using x-ray scattering and density-functional theory, providing new insights into its complex electronic behavior.

Findings

Coexistence of 2×2×2 and 2×2×4 CDW stacking phases.

Temperature-dependent evolution of CDW intensities and transition temperatures.

Identification of a metastable quenched state after fast cooling.

Abstract

The recently discovered Kagome family ${\mathrm{AV}}_3{\mathrm{Sb}}_5$ (A = K, Rb, Cs) exhibits rich physical phenomena, including non-trivial topological electronic structure, giant anomalous Hall effect, charge density waves (CDW) and superconductivity. Notably, CDW in ${\mathrm{AV}}_3{\mathrm{Sb}}_5$ is evidenced to intertwine with its superconductivity and topology, but its nature remains elusive. Here, we combine x-ray scattering experiments and density-functional theory calculations to investigate the CDWs in ${\mathrm{CsV}}_3{\mathrm{Sb}}_5$ and demonstrate the coexistence of 2 $\times$ 2 $\times$ 2 and 2 $\times$ 2 $\times$ 4 CDW stacking phases. Competition between these CDW phases is revealed by tracking the temperature evolution of CDW intensities, which also manifests in different transition temperatures during warming- and cooling measurements. We also identify a meta-stable quenched state of ${\mathrm{CsV}}_3{\mathrm{Sb}}_5$ after fast-cooling process. Our study demonstrates the coexistence of competing CDW stacking in ${\mathrm{CsV}}_3{\mathrm{Sb}}_5$, offering new insights in understanding the novel properties of this system.