Electronic band structures of topological kagome materials

Abstract

The kagome lattice has garnered significant attention due to its ability to host quantum spin Fermi liquid states. Recently, the combination of unique lattice geometry, electron-electron correlations, and adjustable magnetism in solid kagome materials has led to the discovery of numerous fascinating quantum properties. These include unconventional superconductivity, charge and spin density waves (CDW/SDW), pair density waves (PDW), and Chern insulator phases. These emergent states are closely associated with the distinctive characteristics of the kagome lattice's electronic structure, such as van Hove singularities, Dirac fermions, and flat bands, which can exhibit exotic quasi-particle excitations under different symmetries and magnetic conditions. Recently, various quantum kagome materials have been developed, typically consisting of kagome layers stacked along the $z$-axis with atoms either filling the geometric centers of the kagome lattice or embedded between the layers. In this topical review, we begin by introducing the fundamental properties of several kagome materials. To gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between topology and correlation, we then discuss the complex phenomena observed in these systems. These include the simplest kagome metal $T_3X$, kagome intercalation metal $TX$, and the ternary compounds $AT_6X_6$ and $RT_3X_5$ ($A$ = Li, Mg, Ca, or rare earth; $T$ = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni; $X$ = Sn, Ge; $R$ = K, Rb, Cs). Finally, we provide a perspective on future experimental work in this field.