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    Specific heat and thermoelectric investigation of the charge density wave in single crystal Cu1.90Te

    Ramesh Lalmani Yadav1, Pallab Bag1, Yung-Kang Kuo1,*, Chia-Nung Kuo2,3, and Chin Shan Lue2,3,4,†

    • *Contact author: ykkuo@gms.ndhu.edu.tw
    • †Contact author: cslue@mail.ncku.edu.tw

    Phys. Rev. B 113, 035405 – Published 5 January, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/lrjl-4pps

    Abstract

    Cuprous tellurides (Cu2−xTe) have recently garnered attention due to their multiple commensurate charge density wave (CDW) transitions. To elucidate the nature of these phase transitions, we investigated single-crystalline Cu2−xTe (x∼0.1) using temperature-dependent measurements of specific heat (CP), electrical resistivity (ρ), Seebeck coefficient (S), and thermal conductivity (κ). Two distinct anomalies were identified, one near room temperature (TCI) and another ∼150K (TCII), accompanied by thermal hysteresis, indicative of the first-order nature of these transitions. Metastable states that arise from the pinning of the CDW domain lead to irreversibility between TCI and TCII during cooling and warming, which is likely driven by intrinsic Cu vacancies and associated lattice strain. At TCI, a sharp CP(T) peak with a modest entropy release signifies that the transition is primarily dominated by strong electron–phonon coupling and partial electronic condensation. In contrast, the weaker anomaly in CP(T) at TCII suggests predominantly lattice-driven dynamics, possibly involving a soft mode. The ρ(T) data reveal electron-electron correlations at low temperatures and metal-to-metal-like CDW transitions, likely involving partial Fermi surface gapping. The S(T) displays multiple sign reversals and anomalous enhancements across both transitions, indicating complex multiband transport due to CDW-induced Fermi surface reconstruction. A marked suppression in κ(T) at TCI with competing electronic and phononic effects provides further evidence of strong electron-phonon interactions. Additionally, a kink near TCII supports the involvement of soft phonon modes and highlights the role of lattice dynamics. A comparative analysis with other CDW materials contextualizes these findings and emphasizes the potential of Cu2−xTe for thermoelectric applications.

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