Roton pair density wave in a strong-coupling kagome superconductor

Hui Chen, Haitao Yang, Bin Hu, Zhen Zhao, Jie Yuan, Yuqing Xing, Guojian Qian, Zihao Huang, Geng Li, Yuhan Ye, Sheng Ma, Shunli Ni, Hua Zhang, Qiangwei Yin, Chunsheng Gong, Zhijun Tu, Hechang Lei, Hengxin Tan, Sen Zhou, Chengmin Shen, Xiaoli Dong, Binghai Yan, Ziqiang Wang () and Hong-Jun Gao ()
Additional contact information
Hui Chen: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Haitao Yang: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Bin Hu: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhen Zhao: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jie Yuan: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yuqing Xing: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guojian Qian: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zihao Huang: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Geng Li: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yuhan Ye: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Sheng Ma: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shunli Ni: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hua Zhang: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qiangwei Yin: Renmin University of China
Chunsheng Gong: Renmin University of China
Zhijun Tu: Renmin University of China
Hechang Lei: Renmin University of China
Hengxin Tan: Weizmann Institute of Science
Sen Zhou: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chengmin Shen: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaoli Dong: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Binghai Yan: Weizmann Institute of Science
Ziqiang Wang: Boston College
Hong-Jun Gao: Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature, 2021, vol. 599, issue 7884, 222-228

Abstract: Abstract The transition metal kagome lattice materials host frustrated, correlated and topological quantum states of matter1–9. Recently, a new family of vanadium-based kagome metals, AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb or Cs), with topological band structures has been discovered10,11. These layered compounds are nonmagnetic and undergo charge density wave transitions before developing superconductivity at low temperatures11–19. Here we report the observation of unconventional superconductivity and a pair density wave (PDW) in CsV3Sb5 using scanning tunnelling microscope/spectroscopy and Josephson scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. We find that CsV3Sb5 exhibits a V-shaped pairing gap Δ ~ 0.5 meV and is a strong-coupling superconductor (2Δ/kBTc ~ 5) that coexists with 4a0 unidirectional and 2a0 × 2a0 charge order. Remarkably, we discover a 3Q PDW accompanied by bidirectional 4a0/3 spatial modulations of the superconducting gap, coherence peak and gap depth in the tunnelling conductance. We term this novel quantum state a roton PDW associated with an underlying vortex–antivortex lattice that can account for the observed conductance modulations. Probing the electronic states in the vortex halo in an applied magnetic field, in strong field that suppresses superconductivity and in zero field above Tc, reveals that the PDW is a primary state responsible for an emergent pseudogap and intertwined electronic order. Our findings show striking analogies and distinctions to the phenomenology of high-Tc cuprate superconductors, and provide groundwork for understanding the microscopic origin of correlated electronic states and superconductivity in vanadium-based kagome metals.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03983-5

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