THRESHOLD NONLINEAR CONDUCTION OF THIN SAMPLES OF O-TAS3 ABOVE THE PEIERLS TRANSITION-TEMPERATURE

We report precise measurements of differential resistance vs voltage a cross thin samples of the quasi-onedimensional conductor TaS3 in the v icinity and above the Peierls transition temperature T-p. A well-defin ed threshold voltage for the onset of nonlinear conduction is observed up to 45 K above T-p. The effect is associated with depinning of larg e coherent regions of charge-density waves (CDW) arising due to the fl uctuations and extending across the whole sample thickness. Our result s show an unexpectedly high contribution of large domains of phase coh erence to the ''fluctuative'' conductivity. The thin CDW samples give a unique opportunity to see the effects of extremely long-range fluctu ations.