J. Phys. IV France 12 (2002) Pr9-9
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:20020343

Friedel oscillations and charge density wave pinning in quasi-one dimensional conductors: Thermal effects

J.-P. Pouget¹, S. Ravy¹, S. Rouziere² and S. Brazovskii<sup>3

1</sup>  Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, UMR 8502 du CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
²  LURE, UMR 130 du CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
³  Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et des Modèles Statistiques, UMR 8626 du CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France

Abstract
An original interference effect observed in one-dimensional (1D) disordered conductors between X-ray scattering due to the disorder and the charge density wave (CDW)- periodic lattice modulation (PLD) allows to study the pinning of the modulation at local scale. We apply this effect to determine the phase of the CDW at the pinning centres and to show that the response of the CDW to the impurity potential leads to the formation of Friedel oscillations (FO). We report experimental determination and quantitative interpretation of the thermal evolution of both features. The thermal dependence of the interference effect allows one to determine the pinning energy of the 2k -CDW in the V-and W-doped blue bronzes. We show in particular that in these compounds the regular CDW is pinned to the dopant dressed by its FO. In the organic charge transfer salts irradiation leads to an enhancement of the 2k and 4k X-ray scattering that we show, by its thermal dependence, to be due to the formation of FO.

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