Imaging charge-density-wave strains with electromodulated transmission

Abstract

We have used electromodulated infrared transmission to image charge-density-wave strains in blue bronze. Two components of the strain are identified: a bulk strain, which appears throughout the crystal above an applied voltage ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{P}}$, and a contact strain, which appears within \ensuremath{\approxeq}100 \ensuremath{\mu}m of the contacts with the onset of nonlinear current at ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{T}}$\ensuremath{\gtrsim}${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{P}}$. The two components have very different voltage, frequency, and temperature dependencies.