Predicted power laws for delayed switching of charge-density waves

We analyze delayed conduction in three recent models of switching charge-density waves. Each model predicts a power-law dependence of switching delay near threshold: {τ}{~}ε^-β, where {τ} is the delay and {ε}==(E-ET)/ET is the normalized distance above the threshold field ET. Using bifurcation theory, we show that the models of Hall et al. and Mihaly et al. predict {τ}{~}ε^-1/2, whereas the model of Strogatz et al. predicts {τ}{~}ε^-1. These different predictions allow the models to be distinguished experimentally.