Interplay between Pair Density Wave and a Nested Fermi Surface

Abstract

We show that spontaneous time-reversal-symmetry (TRS) breaking can naturally arise from the interplay between pair density wave (PDW) ordering at multiple momenta and nesting of Fermi surfaces (FS). Concretely, we consider pair-density-wave superconductivity on a hexagonal lattice with nested FS at $3/4$ electron filling, which is related to a recently discovered superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. Because of nesting of the FS, each momentum $\bk$ on the FS has at least two counterparts $-\bk\pm\mathbf{Q}_{\alpha}$ ($\alpha=1,2,3$) on the FS to form finite momentum ($\pm\mathbf{Q}_{\alpha}$) Cooper pairs, resulting in a TRS and inversion broken PDW state with stable Bogoliubov Fermi pockets. Various spectra, including (local) density of states, electron spectral function and the effect of quasi-particle interference, have been investigated. The partial melting of the PDW will give rise to $4\times{}4$ and $\frac{4}{\sqrt{3}}\times\frac{4}{\sqrt{3}}$ CDW orders, in addition to the $2\times2$ CDW. Possible implications to real materials such as CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ and future experiments have been further discussed.