Room temperature depinning of the charge-density waves in quasi-two-dimensional 1T-TaS2 devices

• Published in: Applied physics letters 2021-05, Vol.118 (22)
• Main Authors: Mohammadzadeh, A., Rehman, A., Kargar, F., Rumyantsev, S., Smulko, J. M., Knap, W., Lake, R. K., Balandin, A. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2D materials; Applied physics; Charge density waves; charge density waves, depinning, noise spectroscopy, 1/f noise; Charge materials; Crystal structure; Current density; current-voltage characteristic; Differential thermal analysis; Electrical measurement; Electronic devices; electronic noise; LF noise; MATERIALS SCIENCE; phase transitions; Physics; quantum fluids; Room temperature; spectroscopy; thin film devices; Thin films; Two dimensional materials
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0055401

We report on the depinning of nearly commensurate charge-density waves in 1T-TaS2 thin films at room temperature. A combination of the differential current–voltage measurements with the low-frequency noise spectroscopy provides unambiguous means for detecting the depinning threshold field in quasi-2D materials. The depinning process in 1T-TaS2 is not accompanied by an observable abrupt increase in electric current—in striking contrast to depinning in the conventional charge-density-wave materials with quasi-1D crystal structure. We explained it by the fact that the current density from the charge-density waves in the 1T-TaS2 devices is orders of magnitude smaller than the current density of the free carriers available in the discommensuration network surrounding the commensurate charge-density wave islands. The depinning fields in 1T-TaS2 thin-film devices are several orders of magnitude larger than those in quasi-1D van der Waals materials. Obtained results are important for the proposed applications of the charge-density wave devices in electronics.