Diffraction measurements performed via transmission electron microscopy and high resolution X-ray scattering reveal two distinct charge density wave transitions in Gd$_2$Te$_5$ at $T_{c1}$ = 410(3) and $T_{c2}$ = 532(3) K, associated with the textit{on}-axis incommensurate lattice modulation and textit{off}-axis commensurate lattice modulation respectively. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the order parameters indicates a non-vanishing coupling between these two distinct CDW states.
We investigate the rare-earth polychalcogenide $R_2$Te$_5$ ($R$=Nd, Sm and Gd) charge-density-wave (CDW) compounds by optical methods. From the absorption spectrum we extract the excitation energy of the CDW gap and estimate the fraction of the Fermi surface which is gapped by the formation of the CDW condensate. In analogy to previous findings on the related $R$Te$_n$ (n=2 and 3) families, we establish the progressive closing of the CDW gap and the moderate enhancement of the metallic component upon chemically compressing the lattice.
Charge density waves (CDW) are modulations of the electron density and the atomic lattice that develop in some crystalline materials at low temperature. We report an unusual example of a CDW in BaFe$_2$Al$_9$ below 100 K. In contrast to the canonical CDW phase transition, temperature dependent physical properties of single crystals reveal a first-order phase transition. This is accompanied by a discontinuous change in the size of the crystal lattice. In fact, this large strain has catastrophic consequences for the crystals causing them to physically shatter. Single crystal x-ray diffraction reveals super-lattice peaks in the low-temperature phase signaling the development of a CDW lattice modulation. No similar low-temperature transitions are observed in BaCo$_2$Al$_9$. Electronic structure calculations provide one hint to the different behavior of these two compounds; the d-orbital states in the Fe compound are not completely filled. Iron compounds are renowned for their magnetism and partly filled d-states play a key role. It is therefore surprising that BaFe$_2$Al$_9$ develops a structural modulation instead at low temperature instead of magnetic order.
The Fermi surface (FS) of ErTe3 is investigated using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Low temperature measurements reveal two incommensurate charge density wave (CDW) gaps created by perpendicular FS nesting vectors. A large Delta_1 = 175 meV gap arising from a CDW with c* - q_CDW1 ~ 0.70(0) c* is in good agreement with the expected value. A second, smaller Delta_2 = 50 meV gap is due to a second CDW with a* - q_CDW2 ~ 0.68(5) a*. The temperature dependence of the FS, the two gaps and possible interaction between the CDWs are examined.
We investigate the thermal-driven charge density wave (CDW) transition of two cubic superconducting intermetallic systems Lu(Pt1-xPdx)2In and (Sr1-xCax)3Ir4Sn13 by means of x-ray diffraction technique. A detailed analysis of the CDW modulation superlattice peaks as function of temperature is performed for both systems as the CDW transition temperature T_CDW is suppressed to zero by an non-thermal control parameter. Our results indicate an interesting crossover of the classical thermal-driven CDW order parameter critical exponent from a three-dimensional universality class to a mean-field tendency, as T_CDW vanishes. Such behavior might be associated with presence of quantum fluctuations which influences the classical second-order phase transition, strongly suggesting the presence of a quantum critical point (QCP) at T_CDW = 0. This also provides experimental evidence that the effective dimensionality exceeds its upper critical dimension due to a quantum phase transition.
The so-called stripe phase of the manganites is an important example of the complex behaviour of metal oxides, and has long been interpreted as the localisation of charge at atomic sites. Here, we demonstrate via resistance measurements on La_{0.50}Ca_{0.50}MnO_3 that this state is in fact a prototypical charge density wave (CDW) which undergoes collective transport. Dramatic resistance hysteresis effects and broadband noise properties are observed, both of which are typical of sliding CDW systems. Moreover, the high levels of disorder typical of manganites result in behaviour similar to that of well-known disordered CDW materials. Our discovery that the manganite superstructure is a CDW shows that unusual transport and structural properties do not require exotic physics, but can emerge when a well-understood phase (the CDW) coexists with disorder.