Recent Developments and Comments

Abstract

In this concluding chapter we shall attempt to give a brief account of several topics concerning charge-density waves in quasi-one-dimensional conductors that have not been discussed in the preceding chapters, make some comments on some of the controversial points that have been raised, and indicate directions for future research. In spite of the large amount of experimental and theoretical work that has been done during the past few years, there is no general agreement on a number of basic questions. These include the nature of the phase transitions, the importance of Coulomb interactions between electrons, explanations for physical properties, including the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility, infrared optical properties, electron and nuclear spin resonance, specific heats, and perhaps, most important, the role of collective excitations in transport.