Characteristic features of microcontact spectra of contacts between a metal and a quasi-1D conductor with a charge density wave

The current-voltage characteristics (IVCs) of Cu−K_0.3MoO₃ point contacts are investigated. The character of the nonlinearity and the observed asymmetric features of the IVCs indicate that a substantial shift of the chemical potential occurs near the boundary with the normal metal. Deformation of the charge density wave by an applied electric field leads to strong bending of the energy bands and to the formation of a potential well, whereupon the Fermi level falls within the region of allowed single-electron states. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 2, 146–151 (25 January 1998)