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Contributions of spontaneous phase slippage to linear and non-linear conduction near the Peierls transition in thin samples of o-TaS_3

V. Ya. Pokrovskii·S. V. Zaitsev-Zotov
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Abstract

In the Peierls state very thin samples of TaS_3 (cross-section area \sim 10^{-3} mkm^2) are found to demonstrate smearing of the I-V curves near the threshold field. With approaching the Peierls transition temperature, T_P, the smearing evolves into smooth growth of conductance from zero voltage interpreted by us as the contribution of fluctuations to the non--linear conductance. We identify independently the fluctuation contribution to the linear conductance near T_P. Both linear and non-linear contributions depend on temperature with close activation energies \sim (2 - 4) x 10^3 K and apparently reveal the same process. We reject creep of the {\it continuous} charge-density waves (CDWs) as the origin of this effect and show that it is spontaneous phase slippage that results in creep of the CDW. A model is proposed accounting for both the linear and non-linear parts of the fluctuation conduction up to T_P.

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V. Ya. Pokrovskii, S. V. Zaitsev-Zotov. 2000-04-18. Contributions of spontaneous phase slippage to linear and non-linear conduction near the Peierls transition in thin samples of o-TaS_3. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.61.13261

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