Unconventional charge density wave in a kagome lattice antiferromagnet FeGe

Abstract

FeGe is a kagome material that exhibits both charge density wave (CDW) order and magnetic order. The CDW order is developed deep inside the A-type antiferromagnetic phase in FeGe, providing a unique platform to investigate the interplay between CDW and magnetism. However, the driving mechanism of the CDW phase remains controversial. In this work, we performed high-pressure electrical transport and x-ray diffraction measurements combined with density-functional theory calculations to investigate the evolution of the CDW of FeGe under pressure. In contrast to conventional CDW materials, the CDW transition temperature of FeGe increases with increasing pressure, indicating the unconventional mechanism of CDW in this material. More interestingly, another possible CDW with a sqrt[3]×sqrt[3]×6 superlattice emerges above 20 GPa, which may be explained by the calculated metastable CDW states under high pressure. These observations exclude the possibility of Van Hove singularities nesting as a CDW driving force. Our results unveil versatile CDW states and broaden the study of intertwined electronic states in the magnetic kagome metal FeGe.