https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2006-00006-4
Infrared signature of the charge-density-wave gap in ZrTe3
1
Laboratorium für Festkörperphysik, ETH Zürich,
8093 Zürich, Switzerland
2
Department of Physics, EPF Lausanne,
1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Corresponding author: a degiorgi@solid.phys.ethz.ch
Received:
11
May
2005
Revised:
5
July
2005
Published online:
19
January
2006
The chain-like ZrTe3 compound undergoes a charge-density-wave (CDW) transition at 
K, most strongly affecting the conductivity perpendicular to the chains. We measure the temperature (T) dependence of the optical reflectivity from the far infrared up to the ultraviolet with polarized light. The CDW gap 
along the direction perpendicular to the chains is compatible for 
with the behavior of an order parameter within the mean-field Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. also persists well above TCDW, which emphasizes the role played by fluctuation effects.
PACS: 78.20.-e – Optical properties of bulk materials and thin films / 71.30.+h – Metal-insulator transitions and other electronic transitions / 71.45.Lr – Charge-density-wave systems
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2006
