Collective charge density wave motion through an ensemble of Aharonov-Bohm rings

Abstract

We investigate theoretically the collective charge density wave motion through an ensemble of small disordered Aharonov-Bohm rings. It is shown that the magnetic flux modulates the threshold field and the magnetoresistance with a half flux quantum periodicity $\Phi_{0}/2=h/2e$, resulting from ensemble averaging over random scattering phases of multiple rings. The magnitude of the magnetoresistance oscillations decreases rapidly with increasing bias. This is consistent with recent experiments on $NbSe_3$ in presence of columnar defects [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 919 (1997)].