Fermi surface nesting and charge-density wave formation in rare-earth tritellurides

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Fermi surface of rare-earth tri-tellurides and identifies Fermi surface nesting as a key factor driving charge-density wave formation, supported by experimental and theoretical evidence.

Contribution

It provides combined positron annihilation and first-principles calculations to confirm Fermi surface nesting as the mechanism for charge-density wave formation in RTe3 compounds.

Findings

Fermi surface nesting is a strong candidate for CDW formation.

Nesting vector measured as q = (0.28±0.02, 0, 0) a*.

Experimental and theoretical results are in excellent agreement.

Abstract

The Fermi surface of rare-earth tri-tellurides ({\it R}Te$_{3}$) is investigated in terms of the nesting driven charge-density wave formation using positron annihilation and first-principles LMTO calculations. Fermi surface nesting is revealed as a strong candidate for driving charge-density wave formation in these compounds. The nesting vector obtained from positron annihilation experiments on GdTe$_{3}$ is determined to be ${\mathbf q} = (0.28\pm0.02,0,0) {\mathbf a}^{*}$, (${\mathbf a}^{*}=2\pi/{\mathbf a}$), in excellent agreement with previous experimental and theoretical studies.