Tuning Symmetry and Electronic Order in Kagome Metals via Strain and Dimensional Control

• Grant number: 25/13635-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Donizeth dos Reis
• Grantee: Lucas Eduardo Corrêa
• Supervisor: Kimberly Ann Putkonen
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Institute Of Science And Technology Austria, Austria
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/13650-5 - Unraveling the interplay between Charge Density Waves and Superconductivity using Synchrotron Techniques, BP.PD

Abstract

Charge density waves (CDW) are emergent collective states characterized by periodic modulations in the electronic charge density, often accompanied by lattice distortions and closely linked to other quantum phases such as superconductivity, magnetism, and nematicity. Kagome metals, particularly CsV¿Sb¿ and FeGe, offer a compelling platform to explore these intertwined orders, owing to their geometrically frustrated lattices and rich electronic structures featuring Dirac points, van Hove singularities, and flat bands. Despite growing interest, the microscopic origin, stability, and tunability of CDW phases in these systems remain poorly understood, especially under external perturbations such as uniaxial strain and reduced dimensionality.This project aims to investigate how these tuning parameters influence charge ordering, symmetry breaking, and Fermi surface reconstruction in Kagome materials. To achieve this, high-quality microstructured devices will be fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) lithography and integrated into cryogenic uniaxial strain platforms. A multi-technique approach including resonant torsion magnetometry, elastoresistance, pulsed echo ultrasound (PEU), and quantum oscillation measurements will be employed to probe the evolution of the electronic ground state with high sensitivity. The results will provide new insight into the fundamental mechanisms governing emergent phases in frustrated quantum systems and support the development of strain-engineered approaches for controlling correlated electronic behavior.