Phonon promoted charge density wave in topological kagome metal ScV<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>6</sub>.

Hu, Yong; Ma, Junzhang; Li, Yinxiang; Jiang, Yuxiao; Gawryluk, Dariusz Jakub; Hu, Tianchen; Teyssier, Jérémie; Multian, Volodymyr et al. · Nat Commun · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Charge density wave (CDW) orders in vanadium-based kagome metals have recently received tremendous attention, yet their origin remains a topic of debate. The discovery of ScV<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>6</sub>, a bilayer kagome metal featuring an intriguing [Formula: see text] CDW order, offers a novel platform to explore the underlying mechanism behind the unconventional CDW. Here, we combine high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, Raman scattering and density functional theory to investigate the electronic structure and phonon modes of ScV<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>6</sub>. We identify topologically nontrivial surface states and multiple van Hove singularities (VHSs) in the vicinity of the Fermi level, with one VHS aligning with the in-plane component of the CDW vector near the [Formula: see text] point. Additionally, Raman measurements indicate a strong electron-phonon coupling, as evidenced by a two-phonon mode and new emergent modes. Our findings highlight the fundamental role of lattice degrees of freedom in promoting the CDW in ScV<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>6</sub>.