Electron microscope study of superlattices in ZrTe₃

Abstract

An electron microscope study of ZrTe3 shows that this material supports two modulations. One is unstable and lacks long-range order, and may be linked to compositional modulation. The second is associated with a phase transition already observed in the electrical and mechanical properties and may be attributed to the formation of a charge-density-wave normal to the metal atom chains.