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Unconventional Hysteretic Transition in a Charge Density Wave
B Q Lv1, Alfred Zong1,2, D Wu3,4
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|February 4, 2022
Summary
Researchers discovered a record-breaking 400 K hysteresis loop in EuTe4, a quasi-2D material. This unusual transition within the charge density wave phase challenges existing theories on metastable states in solids.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Hysteresis is crucial for phase transitions in solids, enabling access to metastable states.
- Understanding novel hysteretic mechanisms is key to exploring exotic material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate an unconventional hysteretic transition in the quasi-2D material EuTe4.
- To characterize the nature and origin of this hysteresis and its implications for phase transitions.
Main Methods:
- Transport measurements
- Photoemission spectroscopy
- Diffraction techniques
- X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Main Results:
- Observed a hysteresis loop with a temperature width exceeding 400 K, a record for crystalline solids.
- Identified the transition occurring entirely within the incommensurate charge density wave (CDW) phase without altering CDW periodicity.
- Interpreted the hysteresis as a layer-dependent switching of relative CDW phases.
Conclusions:
- The observed hysteresis in EuTe4 originates from a novel mechanism unique to quasi-2D systems.
- This finding challenges current theories on metastable states in density wave systems.
- The study expands the understanding of hysteretic transitions in broken-symmetry states.
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