Resolving the discrepancy between MOKE measurements at 1550-nm wavelength on Kagome Metal CsV3Sb5

Abstract

Kagome metals AV3Sb5 (A = K, Cs, Rb) provide a rich platform for intertwined orders such as the charge density wave (CDW) and a chiral order with time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB). While early reports of large optical polarization rotations have been interpreted as the magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) and as evidence for TRSB, recent dedicated optical rotation and MOKE experiments have clarified that this large optical rotation originates instead from an unconventional specular rotation. Yet a critical discrepancy remains regarding the possible existence of a true spontaneous MOKE signal: in experiments performed after training with modest magnetic fields of up to 0.3 Tesla, no MOKE signal was detected above the noise floor of 30 nano-radians, while micro-radian-level signals were found in an experiment using higher training fields. This raises an intriguing possibility of different zero-field ground states with opposite time-reversal symmetry properties, because of different magnetic histories. To unambiguously determine whether a training-field-dependent spontaneous MOKE signal exists in CsV3Sb5, we conduct comprehensive MOKE measurements with two Sagnac interferometer setups capable of both low and high training fields of up to 9 Tesla, and perform careful analyses of contributions of signals from various optical components. We conclude that there is no observable spontaneous MOKE signal, hence no optical evidence for TRSB, regardless of the magnitude of training fields and the speed of temperature ramping.