The Peierls transition in low-dimensional electronic crystals.

An overview is presented of low-dimensional electronic crystals that undergo a phase transition towards a low-temperature charge-density-wave (CDW) state. The emphasis is on inorganic compounds that develop an one-dimensional (1D) CDW. Low-dimensional features of crystal structures are discussed in relation to 1D electronic properties. X-ray diffraction is discussed as a tool to obtain quantitative information about the normal state and its structural fluctuations, and about the CDW, both in equilibrium and in its non-linear conducting state.