Enhancement of Wigner crystallization in quasi-low-dimensional solids

Year: 2006

Authors: Rastelli G., Quymerais P., Fratini S.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Aquila, Ist Nazl Fis Mat, I-67010 Coppito, Italy; Univ Aquila, Dipartimento Fis, I-67010 Coppito, Italy; CNRS, Etud Proprietes Elect Solides Lab, F-38042 Grenoble 9, France

Abstract: The crystallization of electrons in quasi-low-dimensional solids is studied in a model that retains the full three-dimensional nature of the Coulomb interactions. We show that restricting the electron motion to layers (or chains) gives rise to a rich sequence of structural transitions upon varying the particle density. In addition, the concurrence of low-dimensional electron motion and isotropic Coulomb interactions leads to a sizable stabilization of the Wigner crystal, which could be one of the mechanisms at the origin of the charge-ordered phases frequently observed in such compounds.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW. B, CONDENSED MATTER AND MATERIALS PHYSICS

Volume: 73 (15)      Pages from: 155103  to:

KeyWords: wigner crystals, strongly correlated electronic systems
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.73.155103