<p>Nematicity, spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry, is a ubiquitous phenomenon in correlated quantum matter. Here we show a phase transition in high-quality ScV<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>6</sub> bilayer kagome metal at a temperature <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41467_2025_63294_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="14" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="21" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({T}^{*}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <msup> <mrow> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>*</mo> </mrow> </msup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, occurring seven Kelvins below the charge density wave transition at <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41467_2025_63294_Article_IEq2.gif" Format="GIF" Height="16" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="44" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({T}_{{CDW}}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <msub> <mrow> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mi>C</mi> <mi>D</mi> <mi>W</mi> </mrow> </msub> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, 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 <InlineEquation ID="IEq3"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41467_2025_63294_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="14" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="21" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({T}^{*}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <msup> <mrow> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>*</mo> </mrow> </msup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> and <InlineEquation ID="IEq4"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41467_2025_63294_Article_IEq2.gif" Format="GIF" Height="16" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="44" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({T}_{{CDW}}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <msub> <mrow> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mi>C</mi> <mi>D</mi> <mi>W</mi> </mrow> </msub> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, revealed by transport and optical polarization rotation measurements. A pronounced depolarization effect detected by the Sagnac interferometer further confirms its nematic nature. Unlike AV<sub>3</sub>Sb<sub>5</sub>, 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 ScV<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>6</sub> as a prime candidate for realizing symmetry-breaking phases driven by charge density competition, kagome physics, and Van Hove singularities.</p>

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Discovery of an intermediate nematic state in a bilayer kagome metal ScV6Sn6

  • Camron Farhang,
  • William R. Meier,
  • Weihang Lu,
  • Jiangxu Li,
  • Yudong Wu,
  • Shirin Mozaffari,
  • Richa P. Madhogaria,
  • Yang Zhang,
  • David Mandrus,
  • Jing Xia

摘要

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.