Stripe charge density wave in a van der Waals antiferromagnet

Correlation-driven stripe charge order in doped antiferromagnets has been proposed as a crucial concept in understanding the mechanism of high-temperature superconductors. In a newly emerged van der Waals antiferromagnet U-base tellurides, we discovered a robust stripe charge density wave (CDW) phase that persists above room temperature. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy reveal “flat bands” near the Fermi level, indicating strong electron correlation in this system. Electron microscopy demonstrates the presence of coherent CDW and CDW domains on a macroscopic scale. This CDW manifests as significant anisotropic transport behavior over a wide range of temperatures, suggesting potential future device applications. Our study establishes this new U-based telluride as a promising platform for investigating the interplay between electron correlation, stripe charge order, and magnetism.