Friedel oscillations and charge-density wave pinning in quasi-one-dimensional conductors: An x-ray diffraction study

We present an x-ray diffraction study of the Vanadium-doped blue bronze K0.3(Mo0.972V0.028)O3. At low temperature, we have observed both an intensity asymmetry of the +-2kF satellite reflections relative to the pure compound, and a profile asymmetry of each satellite reflections. We show that the profile asymmetry is due to Friedel oscillation around the V substituant and that the intensity asymmetry is related to the charge density wave (CDW) pinning. These two effects, intensity and profile asymmetries, gives for the first time access to the local properties of CDW in disordered systems, including the pinning and even the phase shift of FOs.