Electric Field Breakdown of Charge-Density-Wave—Induced Anomalies in Nb<span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Se</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>

P. Monçeau; N. P. Ong; A. M. Portis; A. Meerschaut; J. Rouxel

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.37.602

Electric Field Breakdown of Charge-Density-Wave—Induced Anomalies in Nb ${Se}_{3}$

P. Monçeau, N. P. Ong, A. M. Portis, A. Meerschaut, and J. Rouxel

Phys. Rev. Lett. 37, 602 – Published 6 September 1976

Abstract

We report the suppression by electric fields of longitudinal resistivity anomalies at 145 and 59 K in the compound Nb ${Se}_{3}$ . Sample resistance was determined by conventional four-probe dc measurement as well as with short current pulses. We attribute the observed suppression to Zener breakdown across extremely small gaps introduced by the presence of charge density waves.

Received 1 June 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.37.602

Authors & Affiliations

P. Monçeau^*, N. P. Ong, and A. M. Portis

Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720

A. Meerschaut and J. Rouxel

Laboratoire de Chimie Minérale A, 44037 Nantes Cedex, France

^*Permanent address: Centre de Recherches sur les Très Basses Températures, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique B. P. 166, 38042 Grenoble, France.