DOE OSTI ยท 3374664
Charge density wave in a band insulator
Abstract
Charge-density-wave implies a periodic modulation of the charge density. Typically observed in metallic systems, charge-density-wave arise from Fermi surface instabilities, resulting in the total or partial gapping of the Fermi surface. Here, we present experimental evidence for a charge-density wave state emerging in a band insulator which has no Fermi surface. The bulk and surface of our material platform, ๐-Bi 4 Br 4 , is gapped over the entire Brillouin zone. Through topographic and spectroscopic imaging at low temperatures, we unveil an unexpected unidirectional charge modulation in ๐-Bi 4 Br 4 , breaking the lattice translation symmetry. The charge-density-wave develops at temperatures below 40 K and adds an energy gap atop the existing insulating gap of ๐-Bi 4 Br 4 . Furthermore, our transport measurements reveal nonlinear electrical conduction, a phenomenon conventionally associated with the sliding or phason mode of incommensurate charge-density-waves. These unusual observations represent a different type of charge-density-wave
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Hossain, Md Shafayat [University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000237445877), Liu, Wenhao [University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000197571077), Zhang, Yuqi [Beijing Institute of Technology (China); Yangtze Delta Region Academy of Beijing Institute of Technology, Jiaxing (China)], Zhang, Qi [Princeton University, NJ (United States)], Lei, Chao [University of Texas at Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000272499539), Shumiya, Nana [Princeton University, NJ (United States)], Dagnino, Kouta [University of Zurich (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0009000662848797), Litskevich, Maksim [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000330496521), Jiang, Yu-Xiao [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000279583100), Yin, Jia-Xin [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000326614206), Dhale, Nikhil [University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (United States)], Cheng, Zijia [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000294737753), Kim, Byunghoon [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000189494833), Li, Yongkai [Beijing Institute of Technology (China); Yangtze Delta Region Academy of Beijing Institute of Technology, Jiaxing (China)], Cochran, Tyler A. [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000317458467), Yang, Xian P. [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:000000025019374X), Zhang, Fan [University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000346234200), Yao, Yugui [Beijing Institute of Technology (China)] (ORCID:0000000335443787), Wang, Zhiwei [Beijing Institute of Technology (China); Yangtze Delta Region Academy of Beijing Institute of Technology, Jiaxing (China)] (ORCID:0000000301822471), Lv, Bing [University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000294915177), Neupert, Titus [University of Zurich (Switzerland)], Balicas, Luis [Baylor University, Waco, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000252090293), Hasan, M. Zahid [Princeton University, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000197303128). 2026-06-09. Charge density wave in a band insulator. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71570-1
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.