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Abstract Here, we present our synthesis and characterization of the LnTi3(Sb,Sn)4 (Ln: Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd) family of cleavable kagome metals. While these materials are isostructural to the LnTi3Bi4 family, they only form as (Sb,Sn) solid-solutions with no corresponding LnTi3Sb4 or LnTi3Sn4 phases. We use a combination of first-principles density functional theory (DFT) and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) calculations to show that (Sb,Sn) alloying has a stabilizing effect on the structure by adjusting the Fermi level, filling bonding states, depopulating antibonding states, and adjusting the density of states (DOS) toward local minima, an effect we call “synergistic doping.” Through a detailed characterization of the SmTi3(Sb,Sn)4 series, we further demonstrate that the tunable Fermi level has a profound effect on the physical properties. We observe multiple magnetic phases that stem from a competition between antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic-like (FM) ground states. Furthermore, the (Sb,Sn) ratio allows us to tune from direct AFM-FM competition toward a complex admixture with properties reminiscent of the recently discovered TbTi3Bi4. Ultimately, our work demonstrates how the concept of synergistic doping provides a means to stabilize new structures while developing systems with intrinsically tunable chemical, magnetic, and electronic properties. 

This study investigates the electronic structure of the kagome metal YbTi3Bi4 using high-field torque magnetometry. The torque signal measured at a maximum field of 41.5 T reveals clear de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations with a major frequency peak at Fδ ∼ 130 T. By rotating the sample at various tilt angles θ, we observed that Fδ exhibits a nearly 1/cosθ dependence, indicating the presence of a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) Fermi surface (FS) in YbTi3Bi4. This argument is further supported by the detection of a forward-leaning, sawtoothlike waveform in the dHvA effect, a hallmark of 2D FS characteristics. Notably, we identified two high-frequency peaks near Fχ ∼ 1900 T and Fλ ∼ 5600 T; however, these peaks quickly disappear at θ greater than 21◦. To better understand experimental observations, we computed the electronic band structure and FS using ab initio density-functional theory (DFT). The electronic bands reveal the presence of several Dirac points, flat bands, and van Hove singularities near the Fermi level. Five bands cross the Fermi level and contribute to the FS of this material. The FS comprises cylindrical sheets, with theoretical frequencies from the FS pockets aligning well with the experimental dHvA frequencies. Several FS parameters characterizing Fδ were determined by analyzing the temperature and field dependence of the dHvA oscillations using the Lifshitz-Kosevich theory. The detailed electronic properties presented in this work provide critical insights into the electronic structure of YbTi3Bi4 and other titanium-based kagome compounds. 

Exotic quantum solids can host electronic states that spontaneously break rotational symmetry of the electronic structure, such as electronic nematic phases and unidirectional charge density waves (CDWs). When electrons couple to the lattice, uniaxial strain can be used to anchor and control this electronic directionality. Here, we reveal an unusual impact of strain on unidirectional “smectic” CDW orders in kagome superconductors ${\mathrm{AV}}_3{\mathrm{Sb}}_5$ using spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy. We discover local decoupling between the smectic electronic director axis and the direction of anisotropic strain. While the two can generally be aligned along the same direction in regions of a small CDW gap, the tendency for alignment decreases in regions where the CDW gap is the largest. This feature, in turn, suggests nanoscale variations in smectic susceptibility, which we attribute to a combination of local strain and electron correlation strength. Overall, we observe an unusually high decoupling rate between the smectic electronic director of the three-state Potts order and anisotropic strain, revealing weak smectoelastic coupling in the CDW phase of kagome superconductors. This finding is phenomenologically different from the extensively studied nematoelastic coupling in the Ising nematic phase of Ising nematic phase of Fe-based superconductor bulk single crystals, providing a contrasting picture of how strain can control electronic unidirectionality in different families of quantum materials. Published by the American Physical Society2025 

Kagome lattices have emerged as an ideal platform for exploring exotic quantum phenomena in materials. Here, we report the discovery of Ti-based kagome metal YbTi3Bi4 which we characterize using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and magneto-transport, in combination with density functional theory calculations. Our ARPES results reveal the complex fermiology of YbTi3Bi4 and provide spectroscopic evidence of four flat bands. Our measurements also show the presence of multiple van Hove singularities originating from Ti 3d orbitals and a linearly-dispersing gapped Dirac-like bulk state at the point in accord with our theoretical calculations. Our study establishes YbTi3Bi4 as a platform for exploring exotic phases in the wider LnTi3Bi4 (Ln = lanthanide) family of materials. 

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 T, no MOKE signal was detected above the noise floor of 30 nanoradians, while microradian-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 T, 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.