title: Conducting-probe AFM nanoscale joule heating yields charge-density-wave transition detection.
abstract: Several layered transition-metal dichalcogenides are studied using conducting probe AFM aiming to investigate the probe-mediated thermal processes likely to arise in the probe-substrate vicinity due to the high-current densities involved. A signature of local heating is found in the shape of current-potential (i/V) curves. The latter allows straightforward detection of a charge-density-wave (CDW) transition for 1T-TaSe(2) samples exhibiting it above room temperature. This is an illustration of a new use of conducting probe AFM to investigate solid-state bulk characteristics owing to a distinctive nanoscale Joule heating.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire du Génie Electrique de Paris, UMR 8507 of CNRS, Paris VI and Paris-Sud Universities, Supélec, F-Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schneegans
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moradpour
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Molinié