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Thermal and quantum melting phase diagrams for a magnetic-field-induced Wigner solid

Authors :
Ma, Meng K.
Rosales, K. A. Villegas
Deng, H.
Chung, Y. J.
Pfeiffer, L. N.
West, K. W.
Baldwin, K. W.
Winkler, R.
Shayegan, M.
Source :
Phys. Rev. Lett. 125 036601 (2020)
Publication Year :
2020

Abstract

A sufficiently large perpendicular magnetic field quenches the kinetic (Fermi) energy of an interacting two-dimensional (2D) system of fermions, making them susceptible to the formation of a Wigner solid (WS) phase in which the charged carriers organize themselves in a periodic array in order to minimize their Coulomb repulsion energy. In low-disorder 2D electron systems confined to modulation-doped GaAs heterostructures, signatures of a magnetic-field-induced WS appear at low temperatures and very small Landau level filling factors ($\nu\simeq1/5$). In dilute GaAs 2D \textit{hole} systems, on the other hand, thanks to the larger hole effective mass and the ensuing Landau level mixing, the WS forms at relatively higher fillings ($\nu\simeq1/3$). Here we report our measurements of the fundamental temperature vs. filling phase diagram for the 2D holes' WS-liquid \textit{thermal melting}. Moreover, via changing the 2D hole density, we also probe their Landau level mixing vs. filling WS-liquid \textit{quantum melting} phase diagram. We find our data to be in good agreement with the results of very recent calculations, although intriguing subtleties remain.<br />Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press) (2020)

Details

Database :
arXiv
Journal :
Phys. Rev. Lett. 125 036601 (2020)
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.2006.07509
Document Type :
Working Paper
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.036601