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 and Jing Xia ()
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Camron Farhang: University of California, Irvine
William R. Meier: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Weihang Lu: University of California, Irvine
Jiangxu Li: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Yudong Wu: University of California, Irvine
Shirin Mozaffari: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Richa P. Madhogaria: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Yang Zhang: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
David Mandrus: University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Jing Xia: University of California, Irvine

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63294-5

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