Observation of a spin-textured nematic Kondo lattice

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a spin-textured nematic state in a layered Kondo magnet, visualized through STM/STS, revealing a new heavy electronic liquid-crystal phase linked to Kondo physics and symmetry breaking.

Contribution

It provides the first visualization of a spin-polarized nematic state in a Kondo lattice, demonstrating its intrinsic electronic and magnetic nature and expanding understanding of correlated quantum phases.

Findings

Observation of tetragonal symmetry breaking in heavy electronic states

Identification of a spin-polarized nematic state

Correlation between nematicity and heavy quasiparticle formation

Abstract

The Kondo lattice mode, as one of the most fundamental models in condensed matter physics, has been employed to describe a wide range of quantum materials such as heavy fermions, transition metal dichalcogenides and two-dimensional Moire systems. Discovering new phases on Kondo lattice and unveiling their mechanisms are crucial to the understanding of strongly correlated systems. Here, in a layered Kondo magnet USbTe, we observe a spin-textured nematic state and visualize a heavy electronic liquid-crystal phase. Employing scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS), we visualize a tetragonal symmetry breaking of heavy electronic states around the Fermi level. Through systematically investigating the temperature and energy dependence of spectroscopic data, we find that the nematic state coincides with the formation of heavy quasi-particles driven by band hybridization. Remarkably, using spin polarized STM, we demonstrate that the nematic state is spin polarized, which not only suggests its intrinsically electronic nature, but also represents the unique magnetic texture of nematic heavy fermions. Our findings unveil a novel correlation-mediated order whose mechanism is inherently tied to Kondo-lattice physics. The observation of heavy nematic states enriches the phase diagram of correlated systems and provides a rare platform to explore the interplay of Kondo physics, spontaneous symmetry breaking and quantum criticality.