Observation of Charge Density Wave in Layered Hexagonal Cu1.89Te Single Crystal

Abstract

We report comprehensive transport, electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy studies on transition-metal chalcogenides Cu1.89Te single crystals. The metallic Cu1.89Te displays successive metal-semiconductor transitions at low temperatures and almost ideal linear MR when magnetic field up to 33 T. Through the electron diffraction patterns, the stable room-temperature phase is identified as a 3 × 3 × 2 modulated superstructure based on the Nowotny hexagonal structure. The superlattice spots of transmission electron microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy clearly show the structural transitions from the room-temperature commensurate I phase, named as C-I phase, to the low temperature commensurate II (C-II) phase. All the results can be understood in terms of charge density wave (CDW) instability, yielding intuitive evidences for the CDW formations in Cu1.89Te. The additional Raman modes below room temperature further reveal that the zone-folded phonon modes may play an important role on the CDW transitions. Our research sheds light on the novel electron features of Cu1.89Te at low temperature, and may provide potential applications for future nano-devices.