Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Field Induced Density Wave in a Kagome Superconductor

    Md. Shafayat Hossain1,2,3,*,†, Qi Zhang3,*, Julian Ingham4,*, Jinjin Liu5,6,7,*, Sen Shao8, Yangmu Li9, Yuxin Wang10, Bal K. Pokharel10, Zi-Jia Cheng3 et al.

    Yu-Xiao Jiang3, Maksim Litskevich3, Byunghoon Kim3, Xian Yang3, Yongkai Li5,6,7, Tyler A. Cochran3, Yugui Yao5,6, Dragana Popović10, Zhiwei Wang5,6,7,‡, Ronny Thomale11, Luis Balicas10, and M. Zahid Hasan3,§

    • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
    • †Contact author: shossain@seas.ucla.edu
    • ‡Contact author: zhiweiwang@bit.edu.cn
    • §Contact author: mzhasan@princeton.edu

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 186503 – Published 29 October, 2025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/5f9f-bsqw

    Abstract

    On the kagome lattice, electrons benefit from the simultaneous presence of band topology, flat electronic bands, and Van Hove singularities, forming competing or cooperating orders. Understanding the interrelation between these distinct order parameters remains a significant challenge, leaving much of the associated physics unexplored. In the kagome superconductor KV3Sb5, which exhibits a charge density wave (CDW) state below T≃78  K, we uncover an unpredicted field-induced phase transition below 6 K. The observed transition is marked by a hysteretic anomaly in the resistivity, nonlinear electrical transport, and a change in the symmetry of the electronic response as probed via the angular dependence of the magnetoresistivity. These observations surprisingly suggest the emergence of an unanticipated broken symmetry state coexisting with the original CDW. To understand this experimental observation, we developed a theoretical minimal model for the normal state inside the high-temperature parent CDW phase, where an incommensurate CDW order emerges as an instability subleading to superconductivity. The incommensurate CDW emerges when superconducting fluctuations become fully suppressed by large magnetic fields. Our results suggest that, in kagome superconductors, quantum states can either coexist or are nearly degenerate in energy, indicating that these are rich platforms to expose new correlated phenomena.

    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