Scanning tunneling microscopy of the charge-density-wave structure in 1[ital T]-TaS[sub 2]

Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.49.16899· OSTI ID:7045202

Thomson, R E ^[1]; Burk, B; Zettl, A ^[2]; Clarke, J ^[1]

---

1. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States) Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we studied 1[ital T]-TaS[sub 2] in all four of its charge-density-wave (CDW) supporting phases over the temperature range 360--143 K. Special attention was given to the search for discommensurate structures and the distinguishing of true CDW discommensurations and domains from apparent discommensurations and domains formed by interference between the CDW and the atomic lattice. In the lowest-temperature commensurate ([ital C]) phase, we find that the CDW is in the commensurate configuration as expected. We use the [ital C] phase to investigate the effects of multiple tips and find that shifts in the apparent registration of the CDW relative to the atomic lattice result. In the nearly commensurate ([ital NC]) phase, the CDW is in a true domain structure as evidenced by satellite spots in the Fourier transforms of the STM images. In the triclinic ([ital T]) phase, the STM data indicate that the CDW is in a striped domain phase, which is significantly different from the domain model previously proposed. Finally, in the high-temperature incommensurate ([ital I]) phase, we find unexpected satellite spots in the STM Fourier transforms, suggesting that a CDW modulation is also present in this phase.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 7045202
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Vol. 49:24; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
TANTALUM SULFIDES
CHARGE DENSITY
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
FOURIER TRANSFORMATION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
CHALCOGENIDES
INTEGRAL TRANSFORMATIONS
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TANTALUM COMPOUNDS
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TRANSFORMATIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
360602* - Other Materials- Structure & Phase Studies