Orbital hybridization and magnetic moment enhancement driven by charge density waves in kagome FeGe

Interactions among various electronic states, such as charge density waves (CDWs), magnetism, and superconductivity, are pivotal in strongly correlated systems. While the relationship between CDWs and superconductivity has been extensively studied, the interplay between CDWs and magnetic order remains largely elusive. Kagome lattices, with their intrinsic nontrivial topology, charge order, and magnetism, provide a compelling framework for investigating these interactions. In this work, we unravel the orbital origins of magnetic moment modulation induced by CDW in the kagome magnet FeGe, a system exhibiting a unique coupling between CDW and magnetism. The combination of x-ray absorption spectroscopic experiments and first-principles calculations shed light on the temperature-dependent behavior of Fe3d–Ge4p orbital hybridization and corroborate its significant impact on the magnetic properties of FeGe. These findings introduce an orbital dimension to the correlation between charge and magnetic degrees of freedom, advancing our understanding of the intriguing quantum phases resulting from this interplay.