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Observation of Orbital-Selective Dual Modulations in an Anisotropic Antiferromagnetic Kagome Metal TbTi3Bi4

Renjie Zhang1,2,3, Bocheng Yu4, Hengxin Tan5, Yiwei Cheng6,1, Feiran Shen7, Junye Yang7, Dan Mu8, Xinru Han1,9, Alfred Zong10 et al.

Quanxin Hu1, Xuezhi Chen6,1, Yudong Hu1, Chengnuo Meng6, Junchao Ren6, Junqin Li6, Zhenhua Chen6, Zhengtai Liu6, Mao Ye6, Makoto Hashimoto11, Donghui Lu11, Shifeng Jin2,3, Binghai Yan12, Lunhua He2,7,13, Ziqiang Wang14, Tian Shang4,*, Yaobo Huang6,†, Baiqing Lv1,5,15,‡, and Hong Ding1,16,17

  • *Contact author: tshang@phy.ecnu.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: huangyaobo@sari.ac.cn
  • ‡Contact author: baiqing@sjtu.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. X 15, 031012 – Published 10 July, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/c3tg-1lxl

Abstract

Orbital selectivity is pivotal in dictating the phase diagrams of multiorbital systems, with prominent examples including the orbital-selective Mott phase and superconductivity. The intercalation of anisotropic layers represents an effective method for enhancing orbital selectivity and thereby shaping the low-energy physics of multiorbital systems. Despite its potential, related experimental studies, especially those elucidating the correlation between orbital selectivity and magnetism, remain limited. In this work, we systematically examine the interplay between orbital selectivity and magnetism in the newly discovered anisotropic kagome TbTi3Bi4 single crystal, and report the coexistence of orbital-selective dual-band modulations (q1∼1/3a*, q2∼0.28b*) within the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state. By combining soft x-ray and vacuum ultraviolet angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, neutron powder diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density-functional-theory calculations, we identify these dual-band reconstructions as manifestations of the AFM order driven by a (approximately 1/3, 0.28, 0) nesting instability of the intercalated Tb 5dxz orbitals. These orbital-selective modulations induce unusual momentum-dependent band folding and lead to the emergence of Dirac cones only at the M¯1 point, signaling a topological phase transition in the AFM state. Importantly, the discovery of orbital-selective (approximately 1/3, 0.28, 0) AFM order offers crucial insights into the mechanism underlying the fractional magnetization plateau in this kagome AFM metal. Our findings not only underscore the essential role of both conducting and localized electrons in determining the magnetic orders of LnTi3Bi4 (Ln=lanthanide) kagome metals but also offer a pathway for manipulating magnetism through selective control of anisotropic electronic structures.

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Popular Summary

In materials with many interacting particles, understanding how different internal properties—like spin, charge, and orbital—interact is key to controlling their behavior. One important but less explored phenomenon is orbital selectivity, where different electron orbitals behave differently, influencing material properties like superconductivity or magnetism. In this study, we investigate a recently discovered material, TbTi3Bi4, and uncover an orbital-selective effect tied directly to its magnetic behavior.

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we observe a unique momentum-dependent band reconstruction that appears only below the material’s antiferromagnetic transition temperature. This occurs alongside the formation of a symmetry-protected Dirac cone, a type of energy feature in the electronic structure. Backed by density functional theory calculations, we find that this effect arises from a nesting instability in specific Tb orbitals. This orbital-specific response in the antiferromagnetic state reveals a deep connection between orbital behavior and magnetic ordering.

These findings show that orbital-spin coupling can strongly affect magnetic properties, offering a powerful new tool for designing materials with tailored magnetism. Our study not only explains a rare magnetization plateau observed in TbTi3Bi4 but also opens the door to controlling magnetic phases by engineering orbital textures—the patterns formed by how orbitals are arranged and interact in the crystal lattice.

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Phys. Rev. X 15, 031012– Published 10 July, 2025
  • Received 23 September 2024
  • Revised 19 April 2025
  • Accepted 10 June 2025
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