A charge density wave (CDW) is a periodic modulation of charge density often observed in low-dimensional materials. While the origin of CDW is still controversial and can be material-dependent, a CDW state is discussed as a possible playground for unconventional superconductivity. Furthermore, solitons in one-dimensional CDW could find their application in creating novel electronic devices.
Using synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering, we aim to understand the nature of the charge density wave in various low-dimensional systems. While elastic scattering can reveal the information on the periodicity of CDW and corresponding static atomic displacements, inelastic scattering methods show us its dynamics and, furthermore, the origin of CDW. We plan to extend our technique to time-resolved pump-probe measurements that may allow us to separate the contributions from lattice and electrons in the formation of CDW. Our systems of current interest include unconventional superconductors, heavy fermion systems, transition-metal dichalcogenide, for example.