Phonon promoted charge density wave in topological kagome metal ScV<subscript>6</subscript>Sn<subscript>6</subscript>.

Charge density wave (CDW) orders in vanadium-based kagome metals have recently received tremendous attention, yet their origin remains a topic of debate. The discovery of ScV 6 Sn 6 , a bilayer kagome metal featuring an intriguing 3 × 3 × 3 CDW order, offers a novel platform to explore the underlying mechanism behind the unconventional CDW. Here, we combine high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, Raman scattering and density functional theory to investigate the electronic structure and phonon modes of ScV 6 Sn 6 . We identify topologically nontrivial surface states and multiple van Hove singularities (VHSs) in the vicinity of the Fermi level, with one VHS aligning with the in-plane component of the CDW vector near the K ¯ point. Additionally, Raman measurements indicate a strong electron-phonon coupling, as evidenced by a two-phonon mode and new emergent modes. Our findings highlight the fundamental role of lattice degrees of freedom in promoting the CDW in ScV 6 Sn 6 . The mechanism of charge density wave order in V-based kagome metals has been debated. Here the authors use a range of experimental techniques combined with ab initio calculations to study the electronic structure and phonon modes of ScV 6 Sn 6 , revealing the dominant role of strong electron-phonon coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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