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arXiv · 2603.12720

Discovery of a hybridization-wave electronic order in a van der Waals Kondo lattice

Lu Cao·Jiefei Shi·Lanxin Liu·Xuan Luo·Yu-Ping Sun·Yi-feng Yang·Yugui Yao·Jinhai Mao·Yuhang Jiang
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Abstract

Kondo lattice systems, in which localized magnetic moments coherently hybridize with itinerant electrons, exhibit a rich landscape of emergent quantum phenomena. Within this framework, the hybridization strength itself has been theoretically proposed as a spatially modulated order parameter, giving rise to a so-called hybridization wave. However, direct experimental evidence of this quantum state has remained an outstanding challenge. Here, we report the direct observation of a hybridization wave in the layered transition metal dichalcogenide 6R-TaS2, a naturally occurring heterostructure composed of alternating 1T- and 1H-TaS2 layers. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS), we identify the hybridization gap in 1T layer, demonstrating the establishment of a coherent Kondo lattice. Notably, we discover that the hybridization gap present a uniaxial unit-cell doubling modulation, which breaks the both translational and rotational symmetries of the underlying Star-of-David superlattice. Such unit-cell doubling is not caused by structural topography, and therefore, constitutes the real-space visualization of the hybridization-wave order. Furthermore, the hybridization wave correlates with an energy-dependent nematic order that shares the same periodicity and orientation, revealing intertwined electronic instabilities. Our findings not only validate a long-standing prediction but also establish layer-engineered van der Waals materials as a versatile platform for exploring and controlling hybridization-driven quantum phases.

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Lu Cao, Jiefei Shi, Lanxin Liu, Xuan Luo, Yu-Ping Sun, Yi-feng Yang, Yugui Yao, Jinhai Mao, Yuhang Jiang. 2026-03-13. Discovery of a hybridization-wave electronic order in a van der Waals Kondo lattice. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.12720

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