Fluctuations and thermodynamics of the charge-density-wave phase transition

Abstract

We present results on the resistivity \ensuremath{\rho}, specific heat ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{p}}$, and susceptibility \ensuremath{\chi} of ${\mathrm{K}}_{0.3}$${\mathrm{MoO}}_{3}$ near the Peierls transition ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{p}}$ at 180 K. Our resistivity measurements demonstrate that fluctuations intrinsic to the material persist over a temperature interval that is at least 30 K wide. Associated with the large fluctuations is en enhanced specific-heat anomaly that we analyze in terms of the short coherence lengths characteristic of many Peierls systems. We find a scaling relation between the spin susceptibility and the specific heat that covers the intrinsic fluctuation regime.