Character of electron reflection at a normal metal-Peierls semiconductor boundary

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates electron reflection at a normal metal and Peierls semiconductor boundary, revealing it to be of Bragg type due to the CDW's reciprocal lattice properties, contrasting earlier assumptions of Andreev reflection.

Contribution

It clarifies the nature of electron reflection at the boundary, showing it is Bragg rather than Andreev, based on the electronic crystal structure of the CDW.

Findings

Reflection is of Bragg character, not Andreev.

The ratio of reflection intensities depends on the CDW phase.

CDW acts as an electronic crystal with a reciprocal lattice vector.

Abstract

The reflection of electrons incident from a normal metal on the boundary of the metal with a quasi-one-dimensional conductor containing a charge-density wave (CDW) is investigated theoretically. It is shown that the reflection is not of an Andreev character, as it was suggested earlier, but rather of a Bragg character. This is due to the fact that the CDW is actually an electronic crystal, and its wave vector is a reciprocal lattice vector of the electronic crystal. The ratio of the intensities of the standard and Bragg reflection depends on the phase of the CDW.