- Accepted Paper
Scanning tunneling microscopy study of the charge order landscape in CsCrSb
Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 18 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/x4xb-hrjh
Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 18 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/x4xb-hrjh
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 scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) 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 DFT 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.
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