Observation of Orbital-Selective Dual Modulations in an Anisotropic Antiferromagnetic Kagome Metal TbTi3Bi4

TL;DR

This study reveals orbital-selective band reconstructions and unique magnetic orderings in the anisotropic kagome metal TbTi3Bi4, highlighting the interplay between orbital selectivity and magnetism in shaping its electronic properties.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental evidence of orbital-selective dual modulations in an anisotropic kagome metal, combining ARPES measurements with DFT calculations.

Findings

Orbital-selective band reconstruction occurs within the AFM state.

Discovery of orbital-selective 3x1 antiferromagnetic order.

Emergence of symmetry-protected Dirac cones at the M1 point.

Abstract

Orbital selectivity is pivotal in dictating the phase diagrams of multiorbital systems, with prominent examples including the orbital-selective Mott phase and superconductivity, etc. The intercalation of anisotropic layers represents an effective method for enhancing orbital selectivity and, thereby shaping the low-energy physics of multiorbital systems. Despite its potential, related experimental studies remain limited. In this work, we systematically examine the interplay between orbital selectivity and magnetism in the newly discovered anisotropic kagome TbTi3Bi4 single crystal, and report a unidirectional, orbital-selective band reconstruction within the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state. By combining soft X-ray and vacuum ultraviolet angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements with orbital-resolved density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we identify that the band reconstruction is a manifestation of the AFM order, driven by a 1/3 nesting instability of the intercalated Tb 5dxz orbitals. Such an orbital-selective modulation leads the unusual momentum-dependent band folding and the emergence of symmetry-protected Dirac cones only at the M1 point. More importantly, the discovery of orbital-selective 3 x 1 AFM order offers crucial insights into the underlying mechanism of the fractional magnetization plateau in this Kagome AFM metal. Our findings not only underscore the essential role of both conducting and localized electrons in determining the magnetic orders of LnTi3Bi4 (Ln = Lanthanide) kagome metals but also offer a pathway for manipulating magnetism through selective control of anisotropic electronic structures.