Time-Correlated Soliton Tunneling in Charge and Spin Density Waves

We consider a model in which an electric field induces quantum nucleation of kink-antikink pairs in a pinned charge or spin density wave. Pair nucleation events, prevented by Coulomb blockade below a pair creation threshold, become correlated in time above threshold. The model provides a natural explanation for the observed (i) small density wave polarization below threshold in NbSe (3), (ii) narrow band noise, (iii) coherent oscillations, and (iv) mode-locking at high drift frequencies.