Discovery of an intermediate nematic state in a bilayer kagome metal ScV6Sn6
Abstract Nematicity, spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry, is a ubiquitous phenomenon in correlated quantum matter. Here we show a phase transition in high-quality ScV6Sn6 bilayer kagome metal at a temperature $${T}^{*}$$ T * , occurring seven Kelvins below the charge density wave transition...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63294-5 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Nematicity, spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry, is a ubiquitous phenomenon in correlated quantum matter. Here we show a phase transition in high-quality ScV6Sn6 bilayer kagome metal at a temperature $${T}^{*}$$ T * , occurring seven Kelvins below the charge density wave transition at $${T}_{{CDW}}$$ T C D W , as indicated by thermodynamic, transport, and optical measurements. This emerging intermediate phase does not exhibit spontaneous time-reversal-symmetry breaking, as evidenced by zero-field Sagnac interferometry. However, it displays a strong, spontaneous in-plane anisotropy between $${T}^{*}$$ T * and $${T}_{{CDW}}$$ T C D W , revealed by transport and optical polarization rotation measurements. A pronounced depolarization effect detected by the Sagnac interferometer further confirms its nematic nature. Unlike AV3Sb5, this phase, alongside the recently discovered intra-unit cell nematic order at lower temperatures, presents a diverse landscape of nematicities at multiple length and temperature scales. Our findings highlight ScV6Sn6 as a prime candidate for realizing symmetry-breaking phases driven by charge density competition, kagome physics, and Van Hove singularities. |
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| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |