Two-Body Correlations and the Underlying Phase Transitions in Bilayers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how pair correlation functions in a classical electron bilayer system change with interlayer distance, revealing structural phase transitions in both liquid and crystallized phases.

Contribution

It introduces a two-component HNC formalism to analyze correlation functions and identify phase transitions in bilayer electron systems.

Findings

Correlation functions vary with interlayer distance.

Structural phase transitions are indicated by changes in correlation functions.

Short-range order in liquid phases mimics that of crystalline phases.

Abstract

The pair correlation functions for a bilayer system of classical electrons has been calculated through a two-component HNC formalism. The results show changes in the structure of the correlation functions as the interlayer distance is increased from zero to about twice the Wigner-Seitz radius. These changes are indicative of structural phase transitions which are expected to take place in the crystallized phase and whose short range orders the liquid phases emulate.