Plasmon mode modifies the elastic response of a nanoscale charge density wave system

TL;DR

This study investigates how plasmon modes influence the elastic properties of nanoscale NbSe3 charge density wave systems, revealing significant modifications near the phase transition due to phonon-plasmon interactions.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of plasmon-phonon coupling on nanomechanical properties in charge density wave systems at nanoscale dimensions.

Findings

Resonant frequency of 10-100 MHz in nanowires.

Sharp peak in elastic modulus at CDW transition.

Elastic modulus changes by 12.8% in the CDW phase.

Abstract

The elastic response of suspended NbSe3 nanowires is studied across the charge density wave phase transition. The nanoscale dimensions of the resonator lead to a large resonant frequency (10-100 MHz), bringing the excited phonon frequency in close proximity of the plasmon mode of the electronic condensate - a parameter window not accessible in bulk systems. The interaction between the phonon and plasmon modes strongly modifies the elastic properties at high frequencies. This is manifested in the nanomechanics of the system as a sharp peak in the temperature dependence of the elastic modulus (relative change of 12.8%) in the charge density wave phase.