Wigner crystal of a two-dimensional electron gas with a strong spin-orbit interaction

P. G. Silvestrov; O. Entin-Wohlman

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.89.155103

Wigner crystal of a two-dimensional electron gas with a strong spin-orbit interaction

P. G. Silvestrov, O. Entin-Wohlman

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Wigner-crystal phase of two-dimensional electrons interacting via the Coulomb repulsion and subject to a strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling is investigated. For low enough electronic densities the spin-orbit band splitting can be larger than the zero-point energy of the lattice vibrations. Then the degeneracy of the lower subband results in a spontaneous symmetry breaking of the vibrational ground state. The 60° rotational symmetry of the triangular (spin-orbit coupling free) structure is lost, and the unit cell of the new lattice contains two electrons. Breaking the rotational symmetry also leads to a (slight) squeezing of the underlying triangular lattice.

Original language	English
Article number	155103
Journal	Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume	89
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.89.155103
State	Published - 2 Apr 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics

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10.1103/PhysRevB.89.155103

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abstract = "The Wigner-crystal phase of two-dimensional electrons interacting via the Coulomb repulsion and subject to a strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling is investigated. For low enough electronic densities the spin-orbit band splitting can be larger than the zero-point energy of the lattice vibrations. Then the degeneracy of the lower subband results in a spontaneous symmetry breaking of the vibrational ground state. The 60° rotational symmetry of the triangular (spin-orbit coupling free) structure is lost, and the unit cell of the new lattice contains two electrons. Breaking the rotational symmetry also leads to a (slight) squeezing of the underlying triangular lattice.",

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AB - The Wigner-crystal phase of two-dimensional electrons interacting via the Coulomb repulsion and subject to a strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling is investigated. For low enough electronic densities the spin-orbit band splitting can be larger than the zero-point energy of the lattice vibrations. Then the degeneracy of the lower subband results in a spontaneous symmetry breaking of the vibrational ground state. The 60° rotational symmetry of the triangular (spin-orbit coupling free) structure is lost, and the unit cell of the new lattice contains two electrons. Breaking the rotational symmetry also leads to a (slight) squeezing of the underlying triangular lattice.

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Wigner crystal of a two-dimensional electron gas with a strong spin-orbit interaction

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