Effect of Chemical Pressure on the Charge Density Wave Transition in Rare-earth Tritellurides $R$Te$_3$

ORAL

Abstract

The charge density wave transition is investigated in the bi-layer family of rare earth tritelluride $R$Te$_3$ compounds ($R$ = Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm) via high resolution x-ray diffraction and electrical resistivity. The transition temperature $T_{CDW}$ increases monotonically with increasing lattice parameter by an extraordinarily large amount, from 244(3) K for TmTe$_3$ to 416(3) K for SmTe$_3$. It is suggested that this behavior, and the observation of a secondary transition for the heaviest members of the series, is intimately linked to the effect of chemical pressure on the degree of bilayer splitting of the Fermi surface.

*This work is supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515.

–

Authors

  • N. Ru.

    • Dept. of Applied Physics, Geballe Lab. for Adv. Materials, Stanford University
    • Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA

  • G. Y. Margulis

    • Dept. of Physics, Geballe Lab. for Adv. Materials, Stanford University

  • K. Y. Shin

    • Dept. of Applied Physics, Geballe Lab. for Adv. Materials, Stanford University

  • M. F. Toney

    • Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

  • I. R. Fisher

    • Dept. of Applied Physics, Geballe Lab. for Adv. Materials, Stanford University