Fate of the Wigner crystal on the square lattice

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a square lattice influences the stability of the Wigner crystal phase in a system of interacting electrons, revealing that the lattice significantly enhances the phase's stability compared to a free electron gas.

Contribution

It provides a detailed phase diagram showing the increased stability of the Wigner crystal due to lattice effects, which was less understood before.

Findings

Lattice enhances Wigner crystal stability

Phase diagram as a function of density and interaction strength

Comparison with two-dimensional electron gas

Abstract

The phase diagram of a system of electrons hopping on a square lattice and interacting through long-range Coulomb forces is studied as a function of density and interaction strength. The presence of a lattice strongly enhances the stability of the Wigner crystal phase as compared to the case of the two-dimensional electron gas.