The recently discovered family of vanadium-based kagome metals with topological band structures offer a new opportunity to study frustrated, correlated and topological quantum states. These layered compounds are nonmagnetic and undergo charge density wave (CDW) transitions before developing superconductivity at low temperatures. Here we report the observation of unconventional superconductivity and pair density wave (PDW) in the vanadium-based kagome lattice CsV3Sb5 using scanning tunneling microscope/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and Josephson STS. The differential conductance exhibits a V-shaped pairing gap about 0.5 meV below a transition temperature Tc about 2.3 K. Superconducting phase coherence is observed by Josephson effect and Cooper-pair tunneling to a superconducting tip. We find that CsV3Sb5 is a strong-coupling superconductor (2delta/kBTc about 5) and coexists with 4a0 unidirectional and 2x2 charge order. Remarkably, we discover a 4a0/3 bidirectional PDW accompanied by spatial modulations of the coherence peak and gap-depth in the tunneling conductance. We term the latter as a roton-PDW that can produce a commensurate vortex-antivortex lattice to account for the observed conductance modulations. Above Tc, we observe long-range ordered 4a0 unidirectional and 2a0 bidirectional CDW and a large V-shaped pseudogap in the density of state. Electron-phonon calculations attribute the 2x2 CDW to phonon softening induced structural reconstruction, but the phonon mediated pairing cannot describe the observed strong-coupling superconductor. Our findings show that electron correlations in the charge sector can drive the 4a0 unidirectional CDW, unconventional superconductivity, and roton-PDW with striking analogies to the phenomenology of cuprate high-Tc superconductors, and provide the groundwork for understanding their microscopic origins in the vanadium-based kagome superconductors.

Roton pair density wave and unconventional strong-coupling superconductivity in a topological kagome metal

Kagome metals $A{\mathrm{V}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ ($A=\mathrm{K}$, Rb, and Cs) exhibit intriguing superconductivity below $0.9\ensuremath{\sim}2.5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$, a charge density wave (CDW) transition around $80\ensuremath{\sim}100\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$, and ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ topological surface states. The nature of the CDW phase and its relation to superconductivity remains elusive. In this work, we investigate the electronic and structural properties of CDW by first-principles calculations. We reveal an inverse Star of David deformation as the $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2$ CDW ground state of the kagome lattice. The kagome lattice shows softening breathing-phonon modes, indicating the structural instability. However, electrons play an essential role in the CDW transition via Fermi surface nesting and van Hove singularity. The inverse Star of David structure agrees with recent experiments by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The CDW phase inherits the nontrivial ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$-type topological band structure. Further, we find that the electron-phonon coupling is too weak to account for the superconductivity ${T}_{c}$ in all three materials. It implies the existence of unconventional pairing of these kagome metals. Our results provide essential knowledge toward understanding the superconductivity and topology in kagome metals.

Charge Density Waves and Electronic Properties of Superconducting Kagome Metals.

Charge-density-wave-driven electronic nematicity in a kagome superconductor

We argue that the topological charge density wave phase in the quasi-2D Kagome superconductor AV3Sb5 is a chiral flux phase. Considering the symmetry of the Kagome lattice, we show that the chiral flux phase has the lowest energy among those states which exhibit 2 × 2 charge orders observed experimentally. This state breaks the time-reversal symmetry and displays anomalous Hall effect. The explicit pattern of the density of state in real space is calculated. These results are supported by recent experiments and suggest that these materials are new platforms to investigate the interplay between topology, superconductivity and electron–electron correlations.

Chiral flux phase in the Kagome superconductor AV3Sb5

Understanding the competition between superconductivity and other ordered states (such as antiferromagnetic or charge-density-wave (CDW) state) is a central issue in condensed matter physics. The recently discovered layered kagome metal AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, and Cs) provides us a new playground to study the interplay of superconductivity and CDW state by involving nontrivial topology of band structures. Here, we conduct high-pressure electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements to study CsV3Sb5 with the highest Tc of 2.7 K in AV3Sb5 family. While the CDW transition is monotonically suppressed by pressure, superconductivity is enhanced with increasing pressure up to P1~0.7 GPa, then an unexpected suppression on superconductivity happens until pressure around 1.1 GPa, after that, Tc is enhanced with increasing pressure again. The CDW is completely suppressed at a critical pressure P2~2 GPa together with a maximum Tc of about 8 K. In contrast to a common dome-like behavior, the pressure-dependent Tc shows an unexpected double-peak behavior. The unusual suppression of Tc at P1 is concomitant with the rapidly damping of quantum oscillations, sudden enhancement of the residual resistivity and rapid decrease of magnetoresistance. Our discoveries indicate an unusual competition between superconductivity and CDW state in pressurized kagome lattice.

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Unusual competition of superconductivity and charge-density-wave state in a compressed topological kagome metal

As one of the most fundamental physical phenomena, the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) typically occurs in ferromagnetic materials but is not expected in conventional superconductors. Here, the authors find a giant AHE in the kagome superconductor CsV${}_{3}$Sb${}_{5}$. Strikingly, the AHE develops spontaneously with the occurrence of a charge density wave (CDW), indicating a strong correlation between the CDW state and AHE. These discoveries make CsV${}_{3}$Sb${}_{5}$ an ideal platform to study the interplay among nontrivial band topology, CDW, and unconventional superconductivity

Concurrence of anomalous Hall effect and charge density wave in a superconducting topological kagome metal

Scanning tunneling microscopy of a kagome superconductor---an unusual metal with a triangular lattice of atoms---confirms a number of previously hinted at electronic states.

Three-Dimensional Charge Density Wave and Surface-Dependent Vortex-Core States in a Kagome Superconductor CsV 3 Sb 5

The transition-metal-based kagome metals provide a versatile platform for correlated topological phases hosting various electronic instabilities. While superconductivity is rare in layered kagome compounds, its interplay with nontrivial topology could offer an engaging space to realize exotic excitations of quasiparticles. Here, we use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to study a newly discovered Z$_2$ topological kagome metal CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ with a superconducting ground state. We observe charge modulation associated with the opening of an energy gap near the Fermi level. When across single-unit-cell surface step edges, the intensity of this charge modulation exhibits a {\pi}-phase shift, suggesting a three-dimensional 2$\times$2$\times$2 charge density wave ordering. Interestingly, a robust zero-bias conductance peak is observed inside the superconducting vortex core on the Cs 2$\times$2 surfaces that does not split in a large distance when moving away from the vortex center, resembling the Majorana bound states arising from the superconducting Dirac surface states in Bi$_2$Te$_3$/NbSe$_2$ heterostructures. Our findings establish CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ as a promising candidate for realizing exotic excitations at the confluence of nontrivial lattice geometry, topology and multiple electronic orders.

Three-dimensional charge density wave and robust zero-bias conductance peak inside the superconducting vortex core of a kagome superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$

The magnetic topological materials have attracted much attention recently for their potential realization of various novel quantum states. However, the onset of magnetization in these materials usually occurs at low temperatures, impeding further applications. Here, by means of high pressure, we have significantly increased the magnetic transition temperature in an antiferromagnetic axion insulator candidate $\mathrm{Eu}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$. Both crystal and magnetic structures remain the same with pressure up to 17 GPa. The N\'eel temperature can be monotonously increased from 16 K (ambient pressure) to 65 K (14.7 GPa). This is mainly attributed to the enhancement of intralayer ferromagnetic exchange coupling by pressure. With increasing pressure up to 17 GPa, a crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition occurs, which impedes further enhancement of the N\'eel temperature. Our results show that high pressure is an effective pathway to greatly enhance the magnetic transition temperature in topological materials. It is helpful for the realization of novel quantum states at elevated temperatures.

Fanghang Yu

Papers

Concurrence of anomalous Hall effect and charge density wave in a superconducting topological kagome metal

Three-Dimensional Charge Density Wave and Surface-Dependent Vortex-Core States in a Kagome Superconductor CsV 3 Sb 5

Three-dimensional charge density wave and robust zero-bias conductance peak inside the superconducting vortex core of a kagome superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$

Elevating the magnetic exchange coupling in the compressed antiferromagnetic axion insulator candidate Eu In 2 As 2