Phase slip scaling relationship for the 59 K and 143 K charge-density-waves in NbSe3

Selective area irradiation was used to create irradiated/unmodified/irradia ted CDW heterostructures with well-defined interfaces on a single NbSe3 cry stal. The temperature dependence of the extra voltage required for carrier conversion (phase slip voltage, V-ps(0)) is extracted from length dependent studies: We find that the temperature dependence of V-ps(0) for the 143 K and 59 K CDW transitions are identical if properly scaled by the transition temperature. The V-ps(0) temperature dependence is not thermally activated , but contains an upper and lower temperature branch. The crossover tempera ture for the two branches is 0.75T(P). For the 59 K CDW we observe a zero-b ias resistance anomaly near a single irradiated/unmodified interface. This anomaly abruptly changes with temperature near 44 K suggesting a qualitativ e change in the phase slip mechanism near 0.75T(P).