arXiv subjects

Huachen Rao

Publications and source records attributed to Huachen Rao.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Pressure-induced unconventional charge-density-wave states in kagome metal AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs)

Since the discovery of charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity, kagome metal AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) provides a new platform for exploring novel many-body quantum phenomena. In CsV3Sb5, a stripe-like CDW with commensurate wave vector q = 3/8 was observed under moderate pressures, which leads to a peculiar superconducting double-dome behavior in pressure-dependent phase diagram. Previous density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the pressure-induced stripe-like CDW is beyond conventional phonon softening scenario, suggesting a nontrivial role of electronic correlations. However, an in-depth understanding for the pressure-induced unconventional CDW remains elusive. Here, we performed pressure-dependent 51V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on KV3Sb5 and RbV3Sb5. Although the superconducting double-dome behavior is absent in pressurized KV3Sb5 and RbV3Sb5, a pressure-induced CDW phase, ascribed to a possible incommensurate triple-Q CDW, is identified by NMR spectra in both materials, indicating that the pressure-induced unconventional CDW beyond DFT calculations is a common feature for kagome metal AV3Sb5. In contrast to the stripe-like CDW, the pressure-induced incommensurate triple-Q CDW does not strongly suppress the superconducting temperature (Tc) but coincide with an almost plateau behavior at intermediate pressure regime in the pressure-dependent superconducting phase diagram. Furthermore, by systematically analyzing the Korringa relation between Knight shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate in AV3Sb5, van Hove singularities (vHSs) driven electronic fluctuations are revealed as an effective knob for the pressure-induced unconventional CDW. Finally, our present findings underscore the pressure-induced unconventional CDW as a novel correlated quantum state in kagome metal AV3Sb5.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Soft Phonon Charge-Density Wave Formation in the Kagome Metal KV$_3$Sb$_5$

A range of of unusual emergent behaviors have been reported in the charge-density wave (CDW) state of the $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($A=~$K, Rb, Cs) kagome metals, including a CDW formation process without soft phonons, which points to an unconventional CDW mechanism. Here, we use inelastic x-ray scattering to show that the CDW in KV$_3$Sb$_5$ forms via phonons that soften to zero energy at the CDW ordering vector ($L$-point) around $T_{\rm CDW}=78$~K. The intensity of soft phonons exhibit a remarkable in-plane anisotropy, extending over a much larger momentum range along $L$-$A$ relative to $L$-$H$, which leads to diffuse scattering common among $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$. Using first-principles calculations, we find that the momentum-dependent electron-phonon coupling (EPC) is peaked at $L$ and exhibits the same in-plane anisotropy as the phonon softening. Conversely, the electronic susceptibility is not peaked at $L$ and shows the opposite in-plane anisotropy. Our findings favor momentum-dependent EPC as the driving mechanism of the CDW in KV$_3$Sb$_5$, with a CDW formation process similar to that of transition metal dichalcogenides.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Electronic-correlation-assisted charge stripe order in a Kagome superconductor

A central mystery in high-temperature cuprate superconductors is the coexistence of multiple exotic orders, which is presumably associated with strong electronic correlation. The ongoing interest in this enigmatic phenomenon is further energized when similar electronic orders and states emerge and coexist in less correlated Kagome superconductors. Here, by utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and first-principles calculations, we reveal the sudden emergence of a distinct short-range charge stripe order in Sn-doped CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ Kagome superconductors when the long-range $2 \times 2$ charge density wave order in pristine CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ is suppressed. This short-range stripe order features a modulation vector of approximately 1/3 along one of the three lattice directions, induces remarkable quasiparticle scattering between the original quasi-1D Kagome-d-bands and their replica of folding, and clearly suppresses the electron density of states at the Fermi level. Our first-principles calculations reveal that $3 \times 1$ supermodulation represents a hidden secondary instability in pristine CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. This instability is further enhanced by in-plane chemical pressure induced by Sn substitution, and coupled to the electronic correlation, leading to a unique charge stripe order in the system. As such, our results reveal a new route toward emergent electronic orders via cooperative interactions between the lattice and electronic degrees of freedom.

cond-mat.supr-con↗