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Strain-induced charge-density-wave phase transitions in magnetic kagome FeGe

Chu-Lun Chen1, Chin-Hsuan Chen1, and Horng-Tay Jeng1,2,3,4,*

  • *Contact author: jeng@phys.nthu.edu.tw
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033212 – Published 20 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/yrbm-qrjf

Abstract

FeGe is the only known kagome metal hosting the coexistence of long-range magnetic order and charge-density-wave (CDW) order, making it an exceptional platform for studying spin-charge-lattice entanglement. Despite extensive experimental and theoretical efforts, the microscopic origin of the CDW in FeGe remains under active debate. In this work, we reveal how in-plane tensile strain reshapes the hierarchy of competing CDW orders in the antiferromagnetic kagome metal FeGe. First-principles phonon calculations uncover two Kohn-anomaly-induced incommensurate CDWs under strain, while slight electron correlations suppress these modes and instead lead to unconventional correlation-driven CDW phases. Notably, a previously unreported fully dimerized 3×3×2 CDW emerges from the softened H-point phonon mode. Total-energy analyses establish a strain-induced phase transition sequence: 2×2×2→3×3×2→ fully dimerized 3×3×2 at strains of ∼0.6% and ∼2.4%, respectively, while a small U = 0.2 eV will reduce the required strain to ∼0.2% and ∼1.8%, respectively. These results demonstrate the coexistence of electron-phonon-driven and correlation-driven CDW mechanisms, positioning strained FeGe as a powerful platform for probing strongly coupled spin-charge-lattice entanglement in correlated magnetic kagome systems.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033212– Published 20 August, 2026
  • Received 13 January 2026
  • Accepted 27 July 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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