Interaction-driven flat band and charge order in Fe5GeTe2

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the emergence of an interaction-driven flat band and charge order in Fe5GeTe2, revealing a new paradigm where strong correlations induce both flat bands and electronic ordering in a van der Waals magnet.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of a flat band and charge order driven by electronic interactions in Fe5GeTe2, a novel approach compared to geometric lattice engineering.

Findings

Observation of a flat band at the Fermi level in Fe5GeTe2.

Detection of a aa6d7aa6 charge order via band folding.

Evidence of a Kondo-like, coherent Fermi liquid emerging from strong correlations.

Abstract

Flat electronic bands enable fascinating emergent phenomena such as superconductivity and charge orders. A prevailing approach to realizing flat bands is to engineer lattice geometric constraints in twisted or kagome-like materials. An alternative approach is to utilize purely electronic-interaction-driven flat bands, yet a fundamental challenge is that extreme flatness requires ultrastrong interaction strength, which often leads to incoherent states. Here we demonstrate the concurrent formation of an interaction-driven flat band at the Fermi level and a $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}\,R30^\circ$ charge order in a van der Waals magnet Fe5GeTe2 using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. This charge order is manifested by band folding within 30 meV below the Fermi level, with its nesting driven by flat bands. The presence of this flat band throughout the Brillouin zone and the logarithmic temperature dependence of its spectral weight suggest a Kondo-like, coherent Fermi liquid emerging from strong correlations. Our work establishes a paradigm where an interaction-driven flat band promotes large-scale electronic ordering.