Wigner crystal
E98264
A Wigner crystal is an ordered lattice of electrons that forms in low-density systems when their mutual Coulomb repulsion dominates over kinetic energy, leading to a crystalline arrangement of charge.
Statements (52)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
electron crystal
→
ordered electronic phase → quasiparticle system → strongly correlated electron phase → |
| alsoKnownAs |
electron crystal
→
|
| characterizedBy |
Wigner-Seitz radius r_s
NERFINISHED
→
ratio of potential to kinetic energy → |
| formsIn |
low electron density systems
→
|
| hasAnalogy |
Coulomb crystal in dusty plasmas
→
Coulomb crystal in trapped ions → |
| hasArrangement |
crystalline arrangement of charge
→
|
| hasCompetingPhase |
Fermi liquid
→
charge density wave → fractional quantum Hall liquid → superconducting phase → |
| hasDimensionalVariant |
1D Wigner crystal
→
2D Wigner crystal → 3D Wigner crystal NERFINISHED → |
| hasExcitation |
phonon-like collective modes
→
pinning modes → |
| hasInteractionType |
long-range Coulomb interaction
→
|
| hasMeltingMechanism |
quantum melting
→
thermal melting → |
| hasOrderParameter |
long-range positional order of electrons
→
|
| hasPhaseTransitionType |
quantum phase transition
→
|
| hasPhaseType |
solid phase of electrons
→
|
| hasPhysicalNature |
ordered lattice of electrons
→
|
| hasProperty |
broken translational symmetry
→
insulating transport behavior when pinned → long-range charge order → strong electron-electron correlations → very low kinetic energy per electron → |
| hasTheoreticalDescription |
Hartree-Fock approximation
NERFINISHED
→
classical Coulomb crystal models → quantum Monte Carlo simulations → |
| namedAfter |
Eugene Wigner
NERFINISHED
→
|
| occursIn |
GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures
→
electrons on liquid helium → one-dimensional electron systems → quantum Hall systems → semiconductor heterostructures → three-dimensional electron systems → two-dimensional electron gases → |
| predictedBy |
Eugene Wigner
NERFINISHED
→
|
| predictionYear |
1934
→
|
| requiresCondition |
low carrier density
→
low temperature → weak disorder → |
| stabilizedWhen |
Coulomb repulsion dominates over kinetic energy
→
|
| studiedInField |
condensed matter physics
→
low-temperature physics → plasma physics → |
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Eugene Wigner
→
|
knownFor |