Field induced spin density waves in quasi-1D conductors

We present a review of the unusual physics of the quasi-1D conductors in a magnetic field. They have an open Fermi surface and dramatic magnetic field effects were a priori not expected in these compounds. But they present a very rich phase diagram in a field. The reason is that, although the field does not quantize the electronic orbits in the metallic phase, it has a spectacular effect on the instability of this metallic phase. As a result, the CDW or SDW ground state has a complex structure made of a cascade of successive subphases with quantization of Hall effect and very unusual thermodynamics. We review the successes and failures of the Quantized Nesting model used to describe these phases.