Visualizing symmetry-breaking electronic orders in epitaxial Kagome magnet FeSn films

Huimin Zhang, Basu Dev Oli, Qiang Zou, Xu Guo, Zhengfei Wang and Lian Li ()
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Huimin Zhang: West Virginia University
Basu Dev Oli: West Virginia University
Qiang Zou: West Virginia University
Xu Guo: University of Science and Technology of China
Zhengfei Wang: University of Science and Technology of China
Lian Li: West Virginia University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Kagome lattice hosts a plethora of quantum states arising from the interplay of topology, spin-orbit coupling, and electron correlations. Here, we report symmetry-breaking electronic orders tunable by an applied magnetic field in a model Kagome magnet FeSn consisting of alternating stacks of two-dimensional Fe3Sn Kagome and Sn2 honeycomb layers. On the Fe3Sn layer terminated FeSn thin films epitaxially grown on SrTiO3(111) substrates, we observe trimerization of the Kagome lattice using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, breaking its six-fold rotational symmetry while preserving the translational symmetry. Such a trimerized Kagome lattice shows an energy-dependent contrast reversal in dI/dV maps, which is significantly enhanced by bound states induced by Sn vacancy defects. This trimerized Kagome lattice also exhibits stripe modulations that are energy-dependent and tunable by an applied in-plane magnetic field, indicating symmetry-breaking nematicity from the entangled magnetic and charge degrees of freedom in antiferromagnet FeSn.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41831-4

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