Hidden Charge Order and Multiple Electronic Instabilities in EuTe.

The rare-earth telluride compound EuTe exhibits a charge density wave (CDW) and an unconventional thermal hysteresis transition. Herein, we report a comprehensive study of the CDW states in EuTe by using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. Two types of charge orders are observed at 4 K, including a newly discovered spindle-shaped pattern and a typical stripe-like pattern. As an exotic charge order, the spindle-shaped CDW is off-axis and barely visible at 77 K, indicating that it is a hidden order developed at low temperature. Based on our first-principles calculations, we reveal the origins of the observed electronic instabilities. The spindle-shaped charge order stems from a subsequent transition based on the stripe-like CDW phase. Our work demonstrates that the competition and cooperation between multiple charge orders can generate exotic quantum phases.