Making use of the phase Hamiltonian derived from microscopic models, we study theoretically the threshold electric field when the charge-density wave (CDW) or the spin-density wave starts sliding. Unlike earlier phenomenological models, we can describe the temperature dependence of the threshold field. Most of experimental results on the threshold field in quasi-one-dimensional CDW’s are interpreted in terms of the three-dimensional CDW. Curious exceptions are the CDW’s in ${\mathrm{NbSe}}_3$, which appear to be described better by the two-dimensional CDW.

• Received 11 January 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.42.655