Low-temperature shear compliance of TaS3.

Abstract

We have measured the low-frequency (13 Hz) and quasistatic shear compliance (J) of orthorhombic ${\mathrm{TaS}}_{3}$ as a function of applied electric field (E) at 4.2 K. In contrast to liquid-nitrogen temperatures, where J increases by 25--30 % when the electric field depins the charge-density wave, at 4.2 K the compliance is field independent for E up to 270 ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{NL}}$, the field where nonlinear current is first observed, and well into the regime where the conductance is proportional to ${\mathit{E}}^{2}$. A few possible reasons for the lack of an elastic anomaly at low temperature are suggested. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.