Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling in Quasi One-Dimensional Metals. II. Theory

Abstract

A consequence of photon-assisted-tunneling theory of charge-density waves in quasi one-dimensional metals is that the ac conductivity $\sigma \left(\omega \right)\simeq {\sigma }_b\exp (-\frac{{\omega }_s}{\omega })$ scales with the dc current $\frac{I_{\mathrm{dc}}\mathrm{}\left(E\right)\mathrm{}}{(E-E_T)}={\sigma }_b\exp (-\frac{E_0}{E})$. In a revised theory, ${\omega }_s=\left(\frac{c_0}{v_{\mathrm{F}}}\right){\omega }_p$, where $c_0$ is the phason velocity and ${\omega }_p$ the pinning frequency. Expressions are derived for ${\omega }_s$ and $E_0$. Relevant lengths are the Lee-Rice domain length, $L_d=\frac{\pi c_0}{{\omega }_p}$, the free path, $L\sim \frac{c_0}{{\omega }_p}$, and the current-current correlation length, $L_I\sim \left(\frac{v_F}{c_0}\right)L_d$.