Limitations of probing field-induced response with STM

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Matters Arising Published: 25 February 2026 Nature volume 650, pages E15–E20 (2026)Cite this article arising from: Y. Xing et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07519-5 (2024).The kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (where A = K, Cs, Rb) exhibit intertwined density waves, unconventional superconductivity and time-reversal symmetry breaking without spin magnetism1,2, with scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies reporting3,4, albeit not universally5,6, magnetic-field-dependent changes in the apparent chirality of the 2 × 2 charge density wave (CDW). Related to this, Xing et al.7 investigated the effects of magnetic and electric fields on the 2 × 2 CDW state and the lattice structure of kagome superconductor RbV3Sb5, reporting a field-induced ~1% change in the in-plane lattice constants, concomitant with the CDW intensity modification, controlled by the field direction. Here we demonstrate how the apparent magnetic field induced lattice and CDW intensity change can be explained as a consequence of two independent experimental artifacts: a reconfiguration of atoms at the STM tip apex that alters the amplitudes of CDW modulations, and piezo creep, hysteresis and thermal drift, which artificially distort STM topographs. We argue that the reported piezomagnetism could be attributed to experimental artifacts rather than an intrinsic magnetic-field-induced change of the sample. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 € / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Buy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to the full article PDF.39,95 €Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Additional access options: Log in Learn about institutional subscriptions Read our FAQs Contact customer support ReferencesWilson, S. D. & Ortiz, B. R. AV3Sb5 kagome superconductors. Nat. Rev. Mater. 9, 420–432 (2024).Article ADS CAS Google Scholar Yin, J.-X., Lian, B. & Hasan, M. Z. Topological kagome magnets and superconductors. Nature 612, 647–657 (2022).Article ADS CAS PubMed Google Scholar Jiang, Y.-X. et al. Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV3Sb5. Nat. 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B 109, 155121 (2024).Article ADS CAS Google Scholar Download referencesAcknowledgementsI.Z. acknowledges the support from the US Department of Energy grant number DE-SC0025005.Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsDepartment of Physics, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USChristopher Candelora & Ilija ZeljkovicAuthorsChristopher CandeloraIlija ZeljkovicContributionsC.C. performed the analysis under the supervision of I.Z.; C.C. and I.Z. co-wrote the comment.Corresponding authorCorrespondence to Ilija Zeljkovic.Ethics declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Additional informationPublisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Extended data figures and tablesExtended Data Fig. 1 Raw STM topographs.a-f, Raw STM topographs used for figure 4 in Xing et al.7. Insets to the right show various background subtracted regions (green) and a region common to all topographs (red). Insets highlight the striking differences in the quality of data at different magnetic fields. The following is an explanation as to why certain areas were boxed in green: (a) Shows the instability of the tip; in particular, these horizontal lines generate “noise” that interferes with detecting the lattice and the CDW signal in the Fourier transform. (b) Area similar to (a), however here one could see how the apparent shape and intensity of the lattice starkly changes as denoted by the arrows and brackets. (c) A topograph with a clear lattice and the CDW signal, without striped tip instabilities (albeit with substantial piezo drift as seen from the overall slope in the main topograph in (c), and piezo creep artificially stretching the lattice seen at the top of the green inset due to insufficiently relaxed piezos).Extended Data Fig. 2 Analysis of Bragg lengths as a function of magnetic field.a-c, Normalized Bragg lengths as a function of magnetic field from the topographs used in figure 4 of Xing et al.7 along QB1, QB2, and QB3, respectively. Arrows indicate the direction of change in intensity for the forward scans (top row of arrows) and backward scans (bottom row of arrows), with red arrows indicating an inconsistency between forwards and backwards scans. Red X’s above indicate inconsistencies between the proposed switching (that is, |QB1| decreasing and |QB3| increasing while |QB2| remains constant for Bz > 0, and the opposite for Bz < 0) and the data.Extended Data Fig. 3 Analysis of laser data.a-f, A sample of six plane-subtracted STM topographs used for figure 3 in Xing et al.7. Insets to the right show their Fourier transform (top inset) as well as a region common to all topographs (bottom inset). Fourier transform in (a) indicates CDW peaks by circles and Bragg peaks by diamonds, with Q1, Q2, and Q3 directions represented by red, blue, and green, respectively. (a) Shows the first scan used as the “initial condition”. (b-c) show the first transition going from illumination along Q3 to along Q1. (d-e) two topographs taken successively along Q1, and (f) switching back to Q3 illumination. Notice how going from (a) to (b) the tip becomes double, as apparent from the QPI ring disappearing in the Fourier transform (top insets) and the number of impurities doubling (bottom insets, though present throughout topograph (b)). The tip is changed again going from (b) to (c) as shown by the change in shape of the impurities (bottom inset). Notice also the qualitative differences of (d) and (e), which were taken with the same illumination direction Q1. The QPI ring again disappears between the two Fourier transforms, and the vacancies appear glaringly different (bottom insets). g, Bragg lengths along Q1 (red), Q2 (blue), and Q3 (green) as a function of laser illumination direction from topographs used in figure 3 of Xing et al.7. Lengths were determined by 5 × 5 COM fitting of the Bragg peaks. h, CDW intensity along Q1 (red), Q2 (blue), and Q3 (green) as a function of laser illumination direction acquired by using the Fourier transform of the raw data. i, Bragg intensity along Q1 (red), Q2 (blue), and Q3 (green) as a function of laser illumination direction acquired by analysing the Fourier transform of the raw data. Note the large variations in the ICDW,2 in (h) and atomic Bragg peak intensities in (i).About this articleCite this articleCandelora, C., Zeljkovic, I. Limitations of probing field-induced response with STM. Nature 650, E15–E20 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10126-1Download citationReceived: 10 October 2024Accepted: 09 January 2026Published: 25 February 2026Version of record: 25 February 2026Issue date: 26 February 2026DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10126-1