Manipulating charge density wave state in kagome compound RbV₃Sb₅

Owing to the unique electronic structure, kagome materials AV₃Sb₅ (A = K, Rb, Cs) provide a fertile platform of quantum phenomena such as the strongly correlated state and topological Dirac band. It is well known that RbV₃Sb₅ exhibits a 2 × 2 unconventional charge density wave (CDW) state at low temperature, and the mechanism is controversial. Here, by using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), we successfully manipulated the CDW state in the Sb plane of RbV₃Sb₅, and realized a new $\sqrt{3}\times \sqrt{3}$ modulation together with the ubiquitous 2 × 2 period in the CDW state of RbV₃Sb₅. This work provides a new understanding of the collective quantum ground states in the kagome materials.