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Emergent nematicity and intrinsic vs. extrinsic electronic scattering processes in the kagome metal CsV$_3$Sb$_5$

Fermi surface fluctuations and lattice instabilities in the 2D metallic kagome superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ are elucidated via polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy. The presence of a weak electronic continuum in high-quality samples marks the cross-over into the charge-density-wave (CDW) ordered phase, while impurity-rich samples promote strong defect-induced electronic scattering processes that affect the coherence of the CDW phase. CDW-induced phonon anomalies appear below $T_{\mathrm{CDW}}$, with emergent $C2$ symmetry for one of the CDW amplitude modes, alluding to nematicity. In conjunction with symmetry-breaking lattice distortions, a kink-like hardening of the A$_{1g}$ phonon energy at $T_{\mathrm{CDW}}$ signifies a concerted interplay of electronic correlations and electron-phonon coupling in the exotic CDW order.