  Exotic quantum solids can host electronic states that spontaneously break
rotational symmetry of the electronic structure, such as electronic nematic
phases and unidirectional charge density waves (CDWs). When electrons couple to
the lattice, uniaxial strain can be used to anchor and control this electronic
directionality. Here we reveal an unusual impact of strain on unidirectional
"smectic" CDW orders in kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 using
spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy. We discover local
decoupling between the smectic electronic director axis and the direction of
anisotropic strain. While the two are generally aligned along the same
direction in regions of small CDW gap, the two become misaligned in regions
where CDW gap is the largest. This in turn suggests nanoscale variations in
smectic susceptibility, which we attribute to a combination of local strain and
electron correlation strength. Overall, we observe an unusually high decoupling
rate between the smectic electronic director of the 3-state Potts order and
anisotropic strain, revealing weak smecto-elastic coupling in the CDW phase of
kagome superconductors. This is phenomenologically different from the
extensively studied nemato-elastic coupling in the Ising nematic phase of
Fe-based superconductors, providing a contrasting picture of how strain can
control electronic unidirectionality in different families of quantum
materials.
