Energy Dissipation Through Charge Density Waves on 1T-TaS₂

Non-contact energy dissipation can be measured by a highly sensitive cantilever oscillating like a tiny pendulum over the surface [1]. Dissipative nature of layered systems, such as charge density wave (CDW) systems await to be investigated. Different phases of CDW on 1T-TaS₂, a layered transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), can be observed at different temperatures. We studied the origin of non-contact energy dissipation mechanisms on nearly-commensurate and commensurate CDW on 1T-TaS₂. While Joule dissipation is dominant mechanism on commensurate CDW phase, fluctuation driven dissipation is the main mechanism on nearly-commensurate CDW phase. The spectroscopy performed on nearly commensurate phase of CDW indicates that the source of the fluctuating force and dissipation is the collective movement of weakly pinned charge density waves at room temperature.
[1] - M. Kisiel, et al., Nat. Mat. 10, 119-122, (2011).