Depth-dependent study of time-reversal symmetry-breaking in the kagome superconductor AV3Sb5
The breaking of time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in the normal state of kagome superconductors AV<sub>3</sub>Sb<sub>5</sub> stands out as a significant feature, but its tunability is unexplored. Using low-energy muon spin rotation and local field numerical analysis, we study TRS breaking as a function of depth in single crystals of RbV<sub>3</sub>Sb<sub>5</sub> (with charge order) and Cs(V<sub>0.86</sub>Ta<sub>0.14</sub>)<sub>3</sub>Sb<sub>5</sub> (without charge order). In the bulk of RbV<sub>3</sub>Sb<sub>5</sub> (>33 nm from the surface), we observed an increase in the internal magnetic field width in the charge-ordered state. Near the surface (<33 nm), the muon spin relaxation rate is significantly enhanced and this effect commences at temperatures significantly higher than the onset of charge order. In contrast, no similar field width enhancement was detected in Cs(V<sub>0.86</sub>Ta<sub>0.14</sub>)<sub>3</sub>Sb<sub>5</sub>, either in the bulk or near the surface. These observations indicate a strong connection between charge order and TRS breaking and suggest that TRS breaking can occur prior to long-range charge order.
Authors
- J. N. Graham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3593-2479)
- J. -X. Yin
- Rustem Khasanov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4768-5524)
- Thomas Prokscha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7643-4695)
- Andreas Suter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9214-6474)
- Andrea Capa Salinas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5308-7520)
- Stephen D. Wilson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3733-930X)
- Pietro Bonfà (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6358-3037)
- C. Mielke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7773-9485)
- Z. Salman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3431-8135)
- Tommaso Morresi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4162-4042)
- Kozo Okazaki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2334-918X)
- Hubertus Luetkens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5842-9788)
- Debarchan Das (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5453-0195)
- Maria Mendes Martins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2506-505X)
- Yigui Zhong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4613-359X)
- Mark H. Fischer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0810-6064)
- M. Zahid Hasan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9730-3128)
- Z. Guguchia
- S. Sanna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4077-5076)
- Titus Neupert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0604-041X)
- V. Sazgari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7479-8348)
- Hanbin Deng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9476-5113)
- Zhiwei Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0182-2471)
Institutions
- University of Parma (IT)
- Beijing Institute of Technology (CN)
- California NanoSystems Institute (US)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- Princeton University (US)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler (IT)
- Paul Scherrer Institute (CH)
- Southern University of Science and Technology (CN)
- European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas (IT)
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
- University of Bologna (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2024-10-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52688-6
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Topological Materials and Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.36
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Division of Materials Research
- Basic Energy Sciences