Domain motion and threshold behavior of charge-density waves

The relationship between the various computer-simulation theories of charge-density-wave motion is discussed, and some new simulation results in one and three dimensions are presented, which provide evidence that the motion near threshold proceeds by domains analogous to the Lee-Rice domains becoming unstable and jumping rapidly. The consequences of a model based on this picture are then discussed. This model leads to a threshold field which is different from the Lee-Rice depinning field (which is argued to be the field necessary to depin a typical domain but not necessarily sufficient to cause sustained motion of the charge-density wave), for strong pinning