Detailed Investigation Of The Phase Transition In Kxp4w8o32 And Experimental Arguments For A Charge Density Wave Due To Hidden Nesting

Detailed structural and magnetotransport properties of monophosphate tungsten bronze K-x(PO2)(4)(WO3)(8) single crystals are reported. Both galvanomagnetic and thermal properties are shown to be consistent with a charge density wave electronic transition due to hidden nesting of the quasi-1D portion of the Fermi surface. We also observe the enhancement of electronic anisotropy due to reconstruction of the Fermi surface at the Peierls transition. The resistivity presents a thermal hysteresis suggesting a first-order nature characteristic of a strong-coupling scenario. However, other measurements such as the change of carrier density demonstrate a second-order Peierls scenario with weak-coupling features. We suggest that the structural transition driven by the residual strain in the K-P-O environment is responsible for the resistivity hysteresis and modifies the Fermi surface which then helps the rise to the second-order Peierls instability.