Coherent x-ray scattering study of strain-tuned superlattice domains in the kagome metal CsV₃Sb₅

We aim to investigate how uniaxial strain controls the domain structure of electronically ordered phases in the kagome metal CsV₃Sb₅ using coherent x-ray scattering. We could already show that even very small strains strongly affect the superlattice (SL) domain population of the 2×2×4 phase, effectively detwinning the electronic order, as shown by recent x-ray diffraction. By recording static speckle patterns around selected SL reflections under variable strain, we will directly probe the morphology, size, and stability of SL domains. This pioneering experiment will provide a microscopic view of strain-tuned domain control in CsV₃Sb₅, opening pathways for technological exploitation of electronic SLs. In a next step, the same approach can be extended into the time domain to study the dynamics of SL-melting near the transition temperature.