Effect of charge density waves on the tunnel spectra of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ superconductor

The differential tunnel conductance G _S of the junction between a normal metal and a superconductor with a charge density wave (CDW) is calculated as a function of the voltage V across the junction. The results are averaged over the spread of superconducting and CDW energy gaps in the nanoscale-inhomogeneous superconductor. It is shown that, if both order parameters are nonzero, a dip-hump structure is formed beyond the superconducting gap of G _S (V). If the phase of the CDW order parameter is not equal to π/2, a dip-hump structure will appear solely or mainly for one sign of the bias polarity. The results agree with the experimental data for Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ and other high-temperature oxides     

Deformation of a charge density wave in the vicinity of a point contact with a normal metal

The current-voltage characteristics of Cu-K_0.3MoO₃ point contacts between a metal and a semiconductor with a charge density wave (CDW) are studied for various diameters of the contacts in a wide range of temperatures T and voltages V. In the interval 80 K ? T ? 150 K, the current-voltage characteristics are correctly described in the framework of a semiconductor model: screening of an external electric field causes CDW deformation, shifts the chemical potential of quasiparticles, and changes the point contact resistance. It is shown that the chemical potential is above the middle of the Peierls gap in equilibrium and approaches the middle upon an increase in temperature. The current-voltage characteristics of point contacts with a diameter d ? 100 Å exhibit a sharp decrease in resistance for |V| > V _t , which is associated with the beginning of local CDW sliding within the contact region. The V _t (d, T) dependence can be explained by the size effect in the CDW phase slip.     

Spin density wave and ferromagnetism in a quasi-one-dimensional organic polymer

The spin density wave(SDW) — charge density wave(CDW) phase transition and the magnetic properties in a half-filled quasi-one-dimensional organic polymer are investigated by the world line Monte Carlo simulations. The itinerant π electrons moving along the polymer chain are coupled radically to localized unpaired d electrons, which are situated at every other site of the polymer chain. The results show that both ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic radical couplings enhance the SDW phase and the ferromagnet order of the radical spins, but suppress the CDW phase. By finite size scaling, we are able to obtain the phase transition line in the parameter space. The ferromagnetic order of the radical spins are observed to coexist with the SDW phase. As compared to the system being free of the radical coupling, the phase transition line is shifted upward in the U-V parameter space in favor of larger V, where U is the on-site repulsion and V is the nearest-neighbor interaction between the π electrons. All of these findings can be understood qualitatively by a second-order perturbation theory starting from the classical state at zero temperature in the strong coupling limit. We also address the consequences of the radical coupling for the persistent current if the polymer chain is fabricated as a mesoscopic ring.     

Spin-dependent tunneling in junctions containing metals with charge density waves in a magnetic field

The dependences of the differential tunneling conductance G on the voltage V across a junction in an external magnetic field H are calculated for two types of junctions involving normal or superconducting metals with charge density waves (CDWs). Junctions of the first type are asymmetric CDW metal (CDWM)-insulator-ferromagnet junctions. The results of calculations for these junctions demonstrate that there occurs splitting between the components of the conductance G(V) corresponding to the tunneling of electrons with spins aligned with the magnetic field H and opposite to it, as is the case with junctions containing a superconducting electrode instead of the CDWM electrode. Junctions of the second type are junctions between two normal or superconducting CDWM electrodes. For junctions with at least one normal CDWM electrode and H ≠ 0, the conductance G(V) also exhibits spin splitting. The form of the conductance G(V) for tunnel junctions of both types depends on the phase of the order parameter of the charge density waves.     

Numerical study of the nonlocal effects in a charge density wave system

When a segment of charge density wave (CDW) conductor is submitted to an external electric field, a voltage arises in the neighboring segment where no external electric field is applied. Despite its long-term correlation, the collective mode of a CDW should not extend beyond current injection electrodes; however, the imposed boundary conditions to the sample at the injection current contacts affect the CDW state's far away the region between these latter. A phase gradient ∇φ is established between the region where the CDW slide and the region where it is still pinned (zero electric field); this can destroy the CDW state, hence a mechanism “phase slip” to remove the phase gradient established in the system.In this letter, we present a numerical study based on the Fukuyama-Lee-Rice (FLR) model of the nonlocal phenomenon in a one-dimensional CDW system in the weak pinning limit case.     

Breathing charge density waves in intrinsic Josephson junctions

We demonstrate the creation of a charge density wave (CDW) along a stack of coupled Josephson junctions (JJs) in layered superconductors. Electric charge in each superconducting layer oscillates around some average value, forming a breathing CDW. We show the transformation of a longitudinal plasma wave to CDW in the state corresponding to the outermost branch. Transition between different types of CDW’s related to the inner branches of IV characteristic is demonstrated. The effect of the external electromagnetic radiation on the states corresponding to the inner branches differs crucially from the case of the single JJ. The Shapiro steps in the IV characteristics of the junctions in the stack do not correspond directly to the frequency of radiation ω. The system of JJs behaves like a single whole system: the Shapiro steps or their harmonics in the total IV characteristics appear at voltage $\sum {V_l } = N_R \frac{m} {n}\omega$ , where V _l is the voltage in the lth junction, N _R is the number of JJs in the rotating state, and m and n are integers.     

On the origin of quasi-periodic current noise in charge-density wave conductors: Experiments on orthorhombic tantalum trisulphide

The quasi-periodic components, which appear in the voltage V developed across a charge-density wave (CDW) conductor when the steady current I exceeds the threshold current I_T at which motion of the CDW begins, have been observed in orthorhombic TaS₃ at 77 K at frequencies v down to less than 1 Hz. Although its relation to the nonlinear part of the current when I?I_T indicates that v is, or is a low multiple of, the ‘washboard’ frequency v/λ, where v is the velocity and λ the wavelength of the CDW, the amplitude of the periodic variation of V when v<1 kHz is much too great to represent a modulation of the Frohlich current. The alternative is that the variation of V arises from a periodic modulation of the single-electron conductivity, resulting from distortion of the CDW as it moves through the crystal. Such a modulation of conductivity has been demonstrated experimentally, by interrupting a current I>I_T at different stages of the cyclic variation of V, and then using a current I<I_T to observe the resistance of the specimen when the CDW is at rest. Mechanisms whereby a periodic dependence of resistance on the position of the CDW may arise are briefly discussed.     

Anomalous behavior of ultrasonic properties near 50 K in Rb0.30MoO3 and Rb0.30(Mo1−xVx)O3

Depending on the temperature, the charge density wave (CDW) nonlinear conductivity of the blue bronzes A_0.30MoO₃ (A=K, Rb) shows two different regimes: a strongly damped motion above ∼50 K and motion with almost no damping below ∼50 K. In a search for an elastic signature of this CDW behaviour, we performed ultrasonic measurements on Rb_0.30MoO₃ and Rb_0.30(Mo_1−xV_x)O₃ single crystals between 4 K and 300 K. In Rb_0.30MoO₃, at T∼50 K, upon cooling, a large increase of the sound velocity is observed. The ultrasonic attenuation coefficient shows an increase down to 50 K followed by a plateau. In Rb_0.30(Mo_1−xV_x)O₃ (x=0.4 at%) the anomaly broadens and is shifted towards higher temperatures. The results are discussed in terms of CDW glass.     

Conduction mechanisms in polyacetylene nanofibres

The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of individual nanofibres of lightly-doped polyacetylene show very strong nonlinearities. At low temperatures the I–V characteristics are consistent with Zener-type tunnelling, and independent of temperature and magnetic field. We propose that this behaviour arises from tunnelling of a segment of the conjugated bond system in the presence of an electric field, in analogy to the soliton-pair creation mechanism proposed by Maki for conduction in charge-density-wave (CDW) materials. A comparison is made with analogous tunnelling conduction mechanisms reported in CDW and spin-density-wave systems at low temperatures. At higher temperatures the I–V characteristics deviate from Zener-type behaviour and are temperature dependent, so other conduction mechanisms are important.     

Photo-induced enhancement of charge density wave current in the quasi-one-dimensional conductor TaS3

In the near vicinity of Peierls transition temperature T_P, we have measured the V-I characteristics of the quasi-one-dimensional conductor TaS₃ under dark and photo-irradiation conditions. It is found that a significant enhancement of CDW current occurs only around the threshold voltage V_t under photo-irradiation. This effect can be interpreted as a result of screening of pinning potential for CDW condensate by photo-excited quasi-particles (QP's). Further the distribution of pinning potential intensity is reflected in the behavior of V-I characteristics near V_t. Our finding suggests that the strength of pinning potential can be controlled by the photo-excited QP's in quasi-1D conductors.     

X-ray diffraction study of the CDW phase in (TaSe4)2I: Determination of the CDW modulation amplitude

An extensive X-ray diffraction study of charge density wave (CDW) phase in (TaSe₄)₂I is reported. We have observed the superstructure satellites at 2q in addition to those at q reported by Fujishita et al. The results imply a sinusoidal lattice modulation with polarization almost perpendicular to q (i.e. transverse) and the existence of CDW domains. At 15 K we have extracted an approximate value for the amplitude of the lattice modulation perpendicular to q to be μ_⊥ ∽ 0.087 Å.     

Microscopic theory of longitudinal sound velocity in CDW and SDW ordered cuprate systems

We address here the self-consistent calculation of the spin density wave and the charge density wave gap parameters for high-T_c cuprates on the basis of the Hubbard model. In order to describe the experimental observations for the velocity of sound, we consider the phonon coupling to the conduction band in the harmonic approximation and then the expression for the temperature dependent velocity of sound is calculated from the real part of the phonon Green’s function. The effects of the electron–phonon coupling, the frequency of the sound wave, the hole doping concentration, the CDW coupling and the SDW coupling parameters on the sound velocity are investigated in the pure CDW phase as well as in the co-existence phase of the CDW and SDW states. The results are discussed to explain the experimental observations.     

Coexistence of CDW phase and SDW phase

The coexistence of charge density wave (CDW) and spin density wave (SDW) phases is studied by introducing a singlet coupling in the Rice model as well as the Shibatani-Motizuki-Nagamiya (SMN) model. The conditions of the coexistence, and the other parameters are derived for T = 0 K. It is found that the coexistent phase is unrealizable in pure chromium.     

Thermoelectric power of TTF[Ni(dmit)2]2

The 1D organic salt TTF[Ni(dmit)₂]₂ becomes superconductor with T_c=1.6 K under an applied hydrostatic pressure of 7 kbar. Structural determinations in this system lead us to suspect that superconductivity (SC) coexists with a charge density wave (CDW) instability at low pressure. In order to better understand how SC emerge from a CDW and to revisit the pressure–temperature phase diagram of the TTF[Ni(dmit)₂]₂ we performed transport and thermoelectric power measurements under pressure.     

Low-lying collective modes in the charge density wave state inn-type inversion layers of semiconductors

Acoustic-phonon like low-energy long-wave length collective excitations are shown to exist in the charge density wave (CDW) ground state of a two-valley model forn-type inversion layers. The dispersion of the collective modes are obtained by calculating the two-particle Green's function within the random phase approximation, and the sound velocity is investigated as a function of interaction parameters and temperature. Physically the modes represent the phase oscillation of the CDW and the fluctuation of the population difference between two valleys; these two modes are coupled to each other.On leave of absence from the Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan     

Impurities potential effect on the charge density wave dynamics in one-dimensional systems

In this work, we present in the weak pinning case the numerical simulation results of the one-dimensional deformable charge density wave (CDW) properties considering the potential amplitude fluctuations effect generated by different impurity types randomly distributed in the lattice. When the electric field approaches threshold value ET, the static equilibrium characteristic time τ and the polarization PCDW become large and seem to diverge at critical field Ecr from below ET following a power law [1−(E/Ecr)]^−α where α is an impurity dependant critical exponent. This divergence indicates that the CDW depinning can be described in terms of a dynamical critical phenomena, where the critical field Ecr plays the role of a transition temperature as in ordinary phase transitions. In agreement with several experimental results, we show that the electric current density JCDW and electric conductivity σCDW follow respectively a power law β[(E/ET)−1] and (ET/E)ν[(E/ET)−1] where β and ν are critical exponents. This results are analogous to these obtained in the case of one impurity type.     

Ground-state properties of the one-dimensional extended Hubbard model at half filling

The density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) technique is used to study the ground-state properties of the one-dimensional half-filled Hubbard model with on-site (nearest-neighbor) repulsive interaction U (V) and nearest-neighbor hopping t. We calculate the static spin structure factor to consider the spin degrees of freedom. We notice a striking difference of the static spin structure factor among the spin-density-wave, charge-density-wave (CDW), and bond-order-wave (BOW) phases. Based on the results, we identify the BOW-CDW transition at small (large) U value as continuous (of first order). We also calculate the double occupancy to consider the charge degrees of freedom. For large U, the double occupancy show a discontinuous jump at the BOW-CDW critical point and it implies first-order transition. With decreasing U, the jump becomes smaller and vanishes at the tricritical point U_t≈5.961t. This value is close to our previous estimation U_t=5.89t obtained with other quantities. Consequently, the results of static spin structure factor and double occupancy support the accuracy of our ground-state phase diagram.