Logarithmic Relaxation of the Nonequilibrium State of the Charge Density Wave in TbTe3 and HoTe3 Compounds

The measurements of electronic transport including the dynamic properties of the charge density wave (CDW) in the quasi-two-dimensional compound HoTe 3 have been performed. The effects of the slow relaxation of the nonequilibrium state of the CDW during isothermal exposure in the zero current mode, previously observed in TbTe 3 , have been discovered and studied. A significant increase in the exposure time made it possible to clearly demonstrate that the relaxation is logarithmic. Relaxation features were studied in different temperature and time ranges. The data obtained indicate the glassy behavior of the CDW pinning centers in rare-earth tritellurides.