While parallel segments in the Fermi level contours, often found at the surfaces of topological insulators (TIs), would imply "strong" nesting conditions, the existence of charge-density waves (CDWs)-periodic modulations of the electron density-has not been verified up to now. Here, we report the observation of a CDW at the surface of the TI Bi2Te2Se(111), below ≈350K, by helium-atom scattering and, thus, experimental evidence for a CDW involving Dirac topological electrons. Deviations of the order parameter observed below 180K, and a low-temperature break of time reversal symmetry, suggest the onset of a spin-density wave with the same period as the CDW in the presence of a prominent electron-phonon interaction, originating from Rashba spin-orbit coupling.
Keywords: atom-surface scattering; charge-density wave; electron-phonon coupling; spin-orbit coupling; topological insulator.