- Open Access
Electron-Correlation-Assisted Charge Stripe Order in a Kagome Superconductor
Phys. Rev. X 15, 041039 – Published 1 December, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/hfkr-k2pw
Abstract
A central mystery in high-temperature cuprate superconductors is the coexistence of multiple exotic orders, which is presumably associated with strong electronic correlation. The ongoing interest in this enigmatic phenomenon is further energized when similar electronic orders and states emerge and coexist in less correlated kagome superconductors. Here, by utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and first-principles calculations, we reveal the sudden emergence of a distinct short-range charge stripe order in Sn-doped kagome superconductors when the long-range charge density wave order in pristine is suppressed. This short-range stripe order features a modulation vector of approximately along one of the three lattice directions, induces remarkable quasiparticle scattering between the original quasi-1D kagome bands and their replica of folding, and clearly suppresses the electron density of states at the Fermi level. Our first-principles calculations reveal that supermodulation represents a hidden secondary instability in pristine . This instability is further enhanced by in-plane chemical pressure induced by Sn substitution, and coupled to the electronic correlation, leading to a unique charge stripe order in the system. As such, our results reveal a new route toward emergent electronic orders via cooperative interactions between the lattice and electronic degrees of freedom.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Popular Summary
In quantum materials, different ordered phases usually arise from distinct broken symmetries, and the transition between two phases is associated with a sudden reduction in energy. However, in strongly correlated systems such as high-temperature superconductors, several phases can coexist because their energies are nearly degenerate. This overlap challenges the simple Landau picture of phase transitions and raises questions about what controls such competing orders. We explore this issue in a less-correlated kagome superconductor and find that when its usual charge-density-wave pattern is weakened by tin substitution, a new stripelike arrangement of electrons appears.
We identify this hidden order using a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning tunneling microscopy, supported by first-principles calculations. These complementary techniques reveal that tin doping introduces in-plane chemical pressure, which suppresses the original charge-density-wave pattern and enhances a latent tendency for electrons to align into a distinct pattern, already present in the pristine material. Such a tendency cooperates with electronic correlation, giving rise to a stripe order. This stripe arrangement leads to strong scattering of electrons and a reduction in the density of electronic states, signaling a major reorganization of the electronic structure.
Our results show that cooperative interactions between lattice instabilities and electronic correlations can generate unexpected electronic phases even in materials with moderate correlations. This mechanism offers a new way to stabilize or control competing orders, suggesting that similar electron-lattice coupling could drive exotic states in a broader class of quantum materials.
Article Text
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