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Observation of a spin-textured nematic Kondo lattice

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The Kondo lattice model, as one of the most fundamental models in condensed matter physics, has been employed to describe a wide range of quantum materials. Discovering new phases on the Kondo lattice and unveiling their mechanisms are crucial to the understanding of strongly correlated systems. Here, in a layered Kondo magnet USbTe, we observe a spin-textured nematic state and visualize a heavy electronic liquid-crystal phase. Employing scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS), we visualize a tetragonal symmetry breaking of heavy electronic states around the Fermi level, which coincides with the formation of heavy quasi-particles driven by band hybridization. Remarkably, using spin-polarized STM, we demonstrate that the nematic state is spin-polarized, which not only suggests its intrinsically electronic nature but also represents the unique magnetic texture of nematic heavy fermions. Our findings unveil a novel correlation-mediated order whose mechanism is inherently tied to Kondo-lattice physics. The observation of heavy nematic states enriches the phase diagram of correlated systems and provides a rare platform to explore the interplay of Kondo physics, spontaneous symmetry breaking, and quantum criticality. The authors study the layered Kondo magnet USbTe by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. They discover a spin-polarized nematic state below 15 K, coinciding with the formation of heavy quasi-particles driven by band hybridization.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-74841-z
Authors: Yu-Xiao Jiang, Zi-Jia Cheng, Qiaozhi Xu, Md Shafayat Hossain, Xian P. Yang, Jia-Xin Yin, Maksim Litskevich, Tyler A. Cochran, Byunghoon Kim, Eduardo Miranda, Sheng Ran, Rafael M. Fernandes, M. Zahid Hasan
Institutions: Princeton University, Washington University in St. Louis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), University of Minnesota, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Anthony J. Leggett Institute for Condensed Matter Theory
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Princeton University, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Awards: G2142437261, G2416988458, G6396073256, M. Zahid Hasan Experimental Investigator in Quantum Materials Award, Correlated quantum materials, M. Zahid Hasan Experimental Investigator Award
OpenAlex ID: W4417539013
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