Origin of strange metallicity in a d-orbital kagome metal

Strong electronic correlations often give rise to singular phenomena, such as strange metallicity, which appears in various quantum materials platforms. Understanding the mechanisms behind this universality remains an outstanding challenge, especially because the underlying degrees of freedom can be highly complex and varied. Flat-band systems—especially kagome metals—provide an ideal setting for investigating these properties. Here we demonstrate a pronounced zero-bias peak–dip structure in the kagome metal Ni3In, in which the kagome flat band lies close to the Fermi energy. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy reveals that the magnetic field and temperature evolution of these spectral features closely tracks the behaviour of the strange-metal state. We identify the origin of the zero-bias peak arising from compact molecular orbitals formed through destructive quantum interference across the kagome sites. This mechanism gives rise to emergent, f-shell-like localized moments within a d electron-based kagome metal, a manifestation of orbital-driven localization. Spectroscopic imaging further unveils the collapse of these quasiparticles across the Brillouin zone. Therefore, our findings provide insight into how different microscopic building blocks can become interconnected across seemingly disparate families of quantum materials and shed light on the universal nature of strange metallicity and correlated electron behaviour. The mechanism of strange metallicity remains difficult to understand. Now it is shown that in a strongly correlated d-orbital kagome metal, compact orbitals created by destructive interference can produce the unusual electronic behaviour.