Electronic crystals: an experimental overview

Abstract

This article reviews the static and dynamic properties of spontaneous superstructures formed by electrons. Representations of such electronic crystals are charge density waves and spin density waves in inorganic as well as organic low dimensional materials. A special attention is paid to the collective effects in pinning and sliding of these superstructures, and the glassy properties at low temperature. Charge order and charge disproportionation which occur in organic materials resulting from correlation effects are analysed. Experiments under magnetic field, and more specifically field-induced charge density waves are discussed. Properties of meso- and nanostructures of charge density waves are also reviewed.Comment: 255 pages, 247 figure

Charge density wave in layeredLa1−xCexSb2

“…Generally dopants or substitution decrease the CDW ordering temperature. At the same time, the CDW features observed in the experiments are smeared by substitution [35,42]. For instance, in the series La 1−x Ce x AgSb 2 a decrease in T CDW of about 5 K per percentage concentration of Ce is found.…”

“…Condensation of CDW by disorder has been examined in Refs. [35,36,[44][45][46][47][48][49]. Pinning of the CDW bears some similarities to pinning of the vortex lattice in superconductors [50][51][52], and is discussed using the Fukuyama-Lee-Rice theory [53,54].…”

“…Pinning of the CDW bears some similarities to pinning of the vortex lattice in superconductors [50][51][52], and is discussed using the Fukuyama-Lee-Rice theory [53,54]. As in the vortex lattice, there are two competing energies [35,55]. The interaction between CDW and pinning sites is due to the modification of magnitude, wavelength, and phase of the CDW from electronic scattering at the pinning centers.…”

“…CDWs appear in many quasi-two-dimensional compounds with in-plane square atomic arrangements, such as tellurides, silicides, and compounds related to the cuprate superconductors, such as La 2 NiO 4 [35,36]. Generally, CDWs can influence the electronic properties of materials resulting in very different ground states.…”

Anion effects on electronic structure and electrodynamic properties of the Mott insulatorκ−(BEDT−TTF)2Ag2(CN)3Pinterić1, Lazić2, Pustogow3 et al. 2016Phys. Rev. B414860View full textAdd to dashboardCite

“…Along these lines a solid understanding of electronic ferroelectricity was achieved for the families of quasi-one-dimensional organic charge-transfer salts: (TMTTF) 2 X and TTF-X, but also some layered (BEDT-TTF) 2 X systems. [5][6][7] However, no consensus has been reached yet on the origin of the ferroelectric signatures detected in the strongly dimerized κ-(BEDT-TTF) 2 X salts. [8][9][10][11][12] In these compounds, the BEDT-TTF dimers are arranged in a triangular lattice with a relatively high geometrical frustration.…”