Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Scanning tunneling microscopy study of the charge order landscape in CsCr3Sb5

    Jiakang Zhang1,2,*, Xiangqi Liu3,*, Shiyuan Wang1,2, Ziyuan Chen1,2, Zhiyuan Ma1,2, Yuanji Li1,2, Ruotong Yin1,2, Jiashuo Gong1,2, Mingzhe Li1,2 et al.

    Xiuhua Chen1,2, Yanfeng Guo3,4,†, Yilin Wang1,2,‡, Dong-Lai Feng2,§, and Ya-Jun Yan1,2,¶

    • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
    • †Contact author: guoyf@shanghaitech.edu.cn
    • ‡Contact author: yilinwang@ustc.edu.cn
    • §Contact author: dlfeng@hfnl.cn
    • Contact author: yanyj87@ustc.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. B 114, 245115 – Published 14 October, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/x4xb-hrjh

    Abstract

    Recently, a chromium-based kagome metal CsCr3Sb5 has attracted significant attention due to the coexistence of density-wave-like (DW-like) orders and unconventional superconductivity; however, the nature of the DW-like orders remains elusive. Here, we perform a scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy study on multiple CsCr3Sb5 crystals and identify a robust 4×3 charge order (CO) on the Sb2-terminated surface, alongside other region-dependent charge modulations. Through comparative analysis and structural simulations, we attribute the 4×3 CO to the coherent superposition of the underlying Sb lattice, a 2×3 charge stripe, and additional fine-structural distortions. Our density functional theory calculations on bulk CsCr3Sb5 suggest that, among the considered spin density wave (SDW) configurations, a 2×3 SDW has the lowest energy, which will induce a 2×3 charge modulation. This provides a possible bulk-derived scenario for the 2×3 CO component. The possible factors influencing the region-dependent charge modulations are also discussed. Our study provides a microscopic picture for the abundant COs in CsCr3Sb5 and highlights the propensity of magnetic kagome metals to host multiple, nearly degenerate, and competing electronic orders.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    Authorization Required

    We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

    Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

    References (Subscription Required)

    Outline

    Information

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation