Electric-field distribution near current contacts of anisotropic materials

We have measured the nonuniformity of the electric field near lateral current contacts of the charge-density-wave materials ${\mathrm{NbSe}}_{3}$ and $o\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{TaS}}_{3}.$ In this contact geometry, the electric field increases considerably near a current contact. Fitting our data to an existing model yields values for the conduction anisotropy and a characteristic longitudinal length scale. This length scale is on the same order as the mesoscopic phenomena in charge-density-wave devices.