Stability frontiers in the AM$_6$X$_6$ kagome metals: The LnNb$_6$Sn$_6$ (Ln:Ce-Lu,Y) family and density-wave transition in LuNb$_6$Sn$_6$

Abstract: The kagome motif is a versatile platform for condensed matter physics, hosting rich interactions between magnetic, electronic, and structural degrees of freedom. In recent years, the discovery of a charge density wave (CDW) in the AV$_3$Sb$_5$ superconductors and structurally-derived bond density waves in FeGe and ScV$_6$Sn$_6$ have stoked the search for new kagome platforms broadly exhibiting density wave (DW) transitions. In this work, we evaluate the known AM$_6$X$_6$ chemistries and construct a stability diagram that summarizes the structural relationships between the $\approx$125 member family. Subsequently we introduce our discovery of the broader LnNb$_6$Sn$_6$ (Ln:Ce-Nd,Sm,Gd-Tm,Lu,Y) family of kagome metals and an analogous DW transition in LuNb$_6$Sn$_6$. Our X-ray scattering measurements clearly indicate a (1/3, 1/3, 1/3) ordering wave vector ($\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}\times3$ superlattice) and diffuse scattering on half-integer $L$-planes. Our analysis of the structural data supports the ``rattling mode'' DW model proposed for ScV$_6$Sn$_6$ and paints a detailed picture of the steric interactions between the rare-earth filler element and the host Nb-Sn kagome scaffolding. We also provide a broad survey of the magnetic properties within the HfFe$_6$Ge$_6$-type LnNb$_6$Sn$_6$ members, revealing a number of complex antiferromagnetic and metamagnetic transitions throughout the family. This work integrates our new LnNb$_6$Sn$_6$ series of compounds into the broader AM$_6$X$_6$ family, providing new material platforms and forging a new route forward at the frontier of kagome metal research.