Energy gap of a charge density wave in NbSe3 induced by a high magnetic field above the Peierls transition temperature

International audienceThe effect of a magnetic field on the energy gap of the charge density wave (CDW) in NbSe3 near the temperature T-p2 of the lower Peierls transition has been investigated using interlayer tunneling spectroscopy. It has been shown that the magnetic field increases the energy gap and can even induce it at temperatures higher than T-p2 by 15-20 K. As the field strength increases, the peak amplitude of the gap singularity of the tunneling spectrum first increases, reaches its maximum at 20-30 T, and then decreases. The increase in the gap peak amplitude is attributed to the field-induced improvement of the condition of the CDW nesting, while the decrease in the amplitude in high fields, to the breakdown of the ground state caused by its Zeeman splitting