Staggered-vorticity correlations in a lightly doped t-J model: A variational approach

We report staggered-vorticity correlations of current in the d-wave variational wave function for the lightly doped t-J model. Such correlations are explained from the SU(2) symmetry relating d-wave and staggered-flux mean-field phases. The correlation functions computed by the variational Monte Carlo method suggest that pairs are formed of holes circulating in opposite directions.     

Tunable charge density wave in TiS_3 nanoribbons

Recently, modifications of charge density wave(CDW) in two-dimensional(2D) show intriguing properties in quasi-2D materials such as layered transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDCs). Optical, electrical transport measurements and scanning tunneling microscopy uncover the enormous difference on the many-body states when the thickness is reduced down to monolayer. However, the CDW in quasi-one-dimensional(1D) materials like transition metal trichalcogenides(TMTCs) is yet to be explored in low dimension whose mechanism is likely distinct from their quasi-2D counterparts.Here, we report a systematic study on the CDW properties of titanium trisulfide(TiS_3). Two phase transition temperatures were observed to decrease from 53 K(103 K) to 46 K(85 K) for the bulk and 15-nm thick nanoribbon, respectively,which arises from the increased fluctuation effect across the chain in the nanoribbon structure, thereby destroying the CDW coherence. It also suggests a strong anisotropy of CDW states in quasi-1D TMTCs which is different from that in TMDCs.Remarkably, by using back gate of-30 V ～ 70 V in 15-nm device, we can tune the second transition temperature from110 K(at-30 V) to 93 K(at 70 V) owing to the altered electron concentration. Finally, the optical approach through the impinging of laser beams on the sample surface is exploited to manipulate the CDW transition, where the melting of the CDW states shows a strong dependence on the excitation energy. Our results demonstrate TiS_3 as a promising quasi-1D CDW material and open up a new window for the study of collective phases in TMTCs.     

STM studies of TbTe3: evidence for a fully incommensurate charge density wave

We observe unidirectional charge density wave (CDW) ordering on the quasi-2D material TbTe3 with a scanning tunneling microscope at approximately 6 K. Our analysis indicates that the CDW is fully incommensurate, with wave vector qCDW approximately 0.71x2pi/c. By imaging at various tip-sample voltages, we highlight effects of the subsurface layer and its effect on the CDW. We also observe an additional (possibly surface) dimerization and approximately 0.68x2pi/a ordering perpendicular to the CDW.     

Polaron assisted charge transfer in model biologicalsystems

We use a tight binding Hamiltonian to simulate the electron transfer from an initialcharge-separating exciton to a final target state through a two-arm transfer model. Thestructure is copied from the model frequently used to describe electron harvesting inphotosynthesis (photosystems I). We use this network to provide proof of principle fordynamics, in quantum system/bath networks, especially those involving interferencepathways, and use these results to make predictions on artificially realizable systems.Each site is coupled to the phonon bath via several electron-phonon couplings. The assumedlarge energy gaps and weak tunneling integrals linking the last 3 sites give rise to“StarkWannier like” quantum localization; electron transfer to the target cluster becomesimpossible without bath coupling. As a result of the electron-phonon coupling, localelectronic energies relax when the site is occupied, and transient polaronic states areformed as photo-generated electrons traverse the system. For a symmetric constructivelyinterfering two pathway network, the population is shared equally between two sets ofequivalent sites and therefore the polaron energy shift is smaller. The smaller energyshift however makes the tunnel transfer to the last site slower or blocks it altogether.Slight disorder (or thermal noise) can break the symmetry, permitting essentially a “onepath”, and correspondingly more efficient transfer.     

Influence of irradiation defects on charge‐density‐wave systems

The consequences of controlled irradiation-induced disorder have been examined in experiments carried out on several low-dimensional conductors that show charge-density wave phenomena. The most prominent action of the irradiation-induced defects is the pinning of the charge-density-wave. It is effective at concentrations starting from the ppm level as evidenced by the effect on the threshold of the collective (sliding mode) conductivity. At higher concentrations the defects start to influence the stability of the charge-density-waves and simultaneously the effect on the structural coherence of incommensurate or commensurate charge-density-wave phases becomes evident in the diffraction and electron microscope studies on irradiated samples. Defects perturb strongly the usual normal metal-incommensurate-commensurate charge-density-wave transition sequence in spite of the fact that they do not suppress completely the instability towards the condensed charge-density-wave phase. The existence of metastable pinned configurations and memory effects in association with defects has also been clearly demonstrated.     

Distinct current-carrying charge density wave states in NbSe3

We have performed detailed measurements of the dc current-voltage (I–V) characteristics of NbSe₃ in the hysteretic switching regime. Within the hysteresis loop, we observe a series of well-defined and quasi-stable current-carrying states, each with a unique I–V relationship. Transitions between the states, induced by both the applied electric field and thermal fluctuations, are observed. Rapid and random transitions between closely spaced levels are suggested to result in excessive current or voltage noise for the depinned charge density wave condensate.     

Search for a sliding charge density wave in layered compounds

Non-linear voltage-current behavior is observed in the quasi one dimensional compound NbSe₃, due to the contribution of a sliding Charge Density Wave (CDW) to the conductivity. We have looked for a non-linear voltage-current characteristics in the incommensurate CDW state of the layered compounds 2H-TaSe₂ and 1T-TaS₂ and find no evidence for such up to $\text{1.0V}\text{cm}$ and $\text{10V}\text{cm}$, respectively. These values are several orders of magnitude higher than the minimum depinning field observed in NbSe₃.     

Mesoscopic charge density wave in a magnetic flux

The stability of a Charge Density Wave (CDW) in a one-dimensional ring pierced by a Aharonov-Bohm flux is studied in a mean-field picture. It is found that the stability depends on the parity of the number N of electrons. When the size of the ring becomes as small as the coherence length , the CDW gap increases for even N and decreases for odd N. Then when N is even, the CDW gap decreases with flux but it increases when N is odd. The variation of the BCS ratio with size and flux is also calculated. We derive the harmonics expansion of the persistent current in a presence of a finite gap. Received: 16 September 1997 / Received in final form: 12 November 1997 / Accepted: 13 November 1997     

Evidence for charge glasslike behavior in lightly doped La2-xSrxCuO4 at low temperatures

A c-axis magnetotransport and resistance noise study in La_(1.97)Sr_(0.03)CuO_(4) reveals clear signatures of glassiness, such as hysteresis, memory, and slow, correlated dynamics, but only at temperatures (T) well below the spin glass transition temperature T_(sg). The results strongly suggest the emergence of charge glassiness, or dynamic charge ordering, as a result of Coulomb interactions.     

Harmonic mixing in the classical charge density wave model above threshold

The third order response properties of the classical model for charge transport by charge density waves above the conductivity threshold are investigated analytically. The model is isomorphic to that of a resistively shunted Josephson circuit (RSJ model) and thus exhibits an oscillating solution above a threshold electric driving field with a characteristic internal frequencyω _ph . By a systematic perturbation expansion in powers of the perturbing field strengths thedc response of the time varying state to twoac fields of frequencies ω and 2ω is evaluated. This determines the harmonic mixing signal (HMS) as a third order response. The general formula is explicitly evaluated far above threshold giving a result similar to the Kanter-Vernon formula for the rectified signal in second order. In addition to the resonance atω _ph =ω a second resonance is found atω _ph =2ω. A characteristic feature for the HMS above threshold is the absence of an out of phase component, i.e. the internal phase shift is zero.     

电荷密度波经典模型的分析

从Grüner的非线性方程出发,克服了原作者略去二阶微分项所带来的理论缺陷.依据稳定周期解的结果,推出了单段CDW的启动电场的阈值和各分段的滑行速度与外场成正比的关系,揭示出单段CDW遵循欧姆定律是Grüner非线性方程的固有性质.并将此结果用于多分段模型,最终导出CDW非线性电导的指数律和阈场,它们与实验公式一致,同时也说明了窄带噪声的来源.还就多分段的串联问题,提出了“弹性连接”机理的内力处理方法,得到了更为理想的结果. 关键词： CDW 非线性电导 指数律 强作用杂质 弱作用杂质 弹性连接     

Thirring model interpretation of incommensurate charge density wave. I

It is shown that the one-dimensional incommensurate charge density wave system is equivalent to the Thirring model. Its static classical solutions are kink solutions of the phonon phase and localized electron sollutions. Impurity effects on the solutions are also discussed.     

Nonthermal melting of a charge density wave in TiSe2

We use time-resolved optical reflectivity and x-ray diffraction with femtosecond resolution to study the dynamics of the structural order parameter of the charge density wave phase in TiSe2. We find that the energy density required to melt the charge density wave nonthermally is substantially lower than that required for thermal suppression and is comparable to the charge density wave condensation energy. This observation, together with the fact that the structural dynamics take place on an extremely fast time scale, supports the exciton condensation mechanism for the charge density wave in TiSe2.     

Dephasing of Andreev pairs entering a charge density wave

A Cooper pair from a s-wave superconductor (S) entering a conventional charge density wave (CDW) below the Peierls gap dephases on the Fermi wavelength while one particle states are localized on the CDW coherence length ξ_CDW. It is thus practically impossible to observe a Josephson current through a CDW. The paths following different sequences of impurities interfere destructively, due to the different electron and hole densities in the CDW. The same conclusion holds for averaging over the conduction channels in the ballistic system. We apply two microscopic approaches to this phenomenon: (i) a Blonder, Tinkham, Klapwijk (BTK) approach for a single highly transparent S-CDW interface; and (ii) the Hamiltonian approach for the Josephson effect in a clean CDW and a CDW with non magnetic disorder. The Josephson effect through a spin density wave (SDW) is limited by the coherence length ξ_SDW, not by the Fermi wave-length. A Josephson current through a SDW might be observed in a structure with contacts on a SDW separated by a distance ξ_SDW.     

Radiation induced depinning of a charge density wave system

The frequency-dependent response of a pinned charge density wave is considered in terms of forced vibration of an oscillator held in an anharmonic well. It is shown that the effective pinning-frequency can be reduced by applying a d.c. field. If a strong a.c. field, superposed on a d.c. field is applied on such a system “jumps” can be observed in the frequency dependent response of the system. The conditions at which these “jumps” occur are investigated with reference to NbSe₃. The possibility of observing such phenomena in other systems like superionic conductors, non-linear dielectrics like ferroelectrics is pointed out. The characteristics are expressed in terms of some “scaled variables” — in terms of which the characteristics show a universal behaviour.     

Self-localization of holes in a lightly doped Mott insulator

We show that lightly doped holes will be self-trapped in an antiferromagnetic spin background at low-temperature, resulting in spontaneous translational symmetry breaking. The underlying Mott physics is responsible for such novel self-localization of charge carriers. Interesting transport and dielectric properties are found as the consequences, including large doping-dependent thermopower and dielectric constant, low-temperature variable-range-hopping resistivity, as well as high-temperature strange-metal-like resistivity, which are consistent with experimental measurements in the high-T_c cuprates. Disorder and impurities only play a minor and assistant role here.     

Novel mechanism of a charge density wave in a transition metal dichalcogenide

The charge density wave (CDW) is usually associated with Fermi surfaces nesting. We here report a new CDW mechanism discovered in a 2H-structured transition metal dichalcogenide, where the two essential ingredients of the CDW are realized in very anomalous ways due to the strong-coupling nature of the electronic structure. Namely, the CDW gap is only partially open, and charge density wave vector match is fulfilled through participation of states of the large Fermi patch, while the straight Fermi surface sections have secondary or negligible contributions.