No Arabic abstract
We investigated the lock-in transition of charge density waves (CDWs) in quasi-one-dimensional conductors, based on McMillans free energy. The higher-order umklapp terms play an essential role in this study. McMillans theory was extended by Nakanishi and Shiba in order to treat multiple CDW vectors. Although their theories were aimed at understanding CDWs in quasi-two-dimensional conductors, we applied them to the quasi-one-dimensional conductors, including K$_{0.3}$MoO$_3$, NbSe$_3$, and $m$-TaS$_3$, and confirmed its validity for these cases. Then we discussed our previous experimental result of $o$-TaS$_3$, which revealed the coexistence of commensurate and incommensurate states. We found that the coexistence of multiple CDW vectors is essential for the lock-in transition to occur in $o$-TaS$_3$. The even- and odd-order terms in the free energy play roles for amplitude development and phase modulation, respectively. Moreover, consideration of the condition of being commensurate CDWs allowed us to relate it with that of the weak localization in random media.
We suggest a theory of internal coherent tunneling in the pseudogap region, when the applied voltage U is below the free electron gap 2Delta_0. We address quasi 1D systems, where the gap is originated by spontaneous lattice distortions of the Incommensurate Charge Density Wave (ICDW) type. Results can be adjusted also to quasi-1D superconductors. The instanton approach allows to calculate the interchain tunneling current both in single electron (amplitude solitons, i.e. spinons) and bi-electron (phase slips) channels. Transition rates are governed by a dissipative dynamics originated by emission of gapless phase excitations in the course of the instanton process. We find that the single-electron tunneling is allowed below the nominal gap 2Delta_0 down to the true pair-breaking threshold at 2W_as<2Delta, where W_as=2Delta/pi is the amplitude soliton energy. Most importantly, the bi-electronic tunneling stretches down to U=0 (in the 1D regime). In both cases, the threshold behavior is given by power laws J (U-U_c)^beta, where the exponent beta v_F/u is large as the ratio of the Fermi velocity v_F and the phase one u. In the 2D or 3D ordered phases, at temperature T<T_c, the one-electron tunneling current does not vanish at the threshold U_c anymore, but saturates above it at U-U_c T_c<<Delta. Also the bi-particle channel acquires a finite threshold U_c=W_ph T_c<<Delta at the energy W_ph of the 2pi phase soliton.
Low-dimensional organic conductors could establish themselves as model systems for the investigation of the physics in reduced dimensions. In the metallic state of a one-dimensional solid, Fermi-liquid theory breaks down and spin and charge degrees of freedom become separated. But the metallic phase is not stable in one dimension: as the temperature is reduced, the electronic charge and spin tend to arrange themselves in an ordered fashion due to strong correlations. The competition of the different interactions is responsible for which broken-symmetry ground state is eventually realized in a specific compound and which drives the system towards an insulating state. Here we review the various ordering phenomena and how they can be identified by optic and magnetic measurements. While the final results might look very similar in the case of a charge density wave and a charge-ordered metal, for instance, the physical cause is completely different. When density waves form, a gap opens in the density of states at the Fermi energy due to nesting of the one-dimension Fermi surface sheets. When a one-dimensional metal becomes a charge-ordered Mott insulator, on the other hand, the short-range Coulomb repulsion localizes the charge on the lattice sites and even causes certain charge patterns. We try to point out the similarities and conceptional differences of these phenomena and give an example for each of them. Particular emphasis will be put on collective phenomena which are inherently present as soon as ordering breaks the symmetry of the system.
The interference between spin-density-wave and superconducting instabilities in quasi-one-dimensional correlated metals is analyzed using the renormalization group method. At the one-loop level, we show how the interference leads to a continuous crossover from a spin-density-wave state to unconventional superconductivity when deviations from perfect nesting of the Fermi surface exceed a critical value. Singlet pairing between electrons on neighboring stacks is found to be the most favorable symmetry for superconductivity. The consequences of non uniform spin-density-wave pairing on the structure of phase diagram within the crossover region is also discussed.
We collect evidences on existence of microscopic solitons, and their determining role in electronic processes of quasi-1D conductors. The ferroelectric charge ordering gives access to several types of solitons in conductivity and permittivity, and to solitons bound pairs in optics - both in insulating and conducting cases of TMTTF and TMTSF subfamilies. The excursion to physics of conjugated polymers allows to suggest further experiments. Internal tunnelling in Charge Density Waves goes through the channel of amplitude solitons, which correspond to the long sought quasi-particle - the spinon. The same experiment gives an access to the reversible reconstruction of the junction via spontaneous creation of a lattice of 2Pi solitons - a grid of dislocations. The individual 2Pi solitons have been visually captured in recent STM experiments. Junctions of organic and oxide conductors are anticipated to show similar effects of reconstruction.
Charge, spin, as well as lattice instabilities are investigated in isolated or weakly coupled chains of correlated electrons at quarter-filling. Our analysis is based on extended Hubbard models including nearest neighbor repulsion and Peierls coupling to lattice degrees of freedom. While treating the electronic quantum fluctuations exactly, the lattice structure is optimized self-consistently. We show that, generically, isolated chains undergo instabilities towards coexisting charge density waves (CDW) and bond order waves (BOW) insulating spin-gapped phases. The spin and charge gaps of the BOW-CDW phase are computed. In the presence of an interchain magnetic coupling spin density waves phases including a CDW or a BOW component are also found. Our results are discussed in the context of insulating charge transfer salts.