Wigner crystal

A Wigner crystal is the crystalline phase of the electron, which was first predicted by Eugene Wigner in 1934 as the ground state of a system of interacting electrons. The electron take each possible widely separated positions. At a given density which results in the arrangement of electrons in a regular grid. This phase occurs when the density and temperature of the electrons is sufficiently low.

Wigner- crystals have been experimentally only in two-dimensional (2D) situations can be realized: on the one hand, for electrons at a liquid helium film, on the other hand, in the 2D electron gas at the interface between two semiconductor heterostructures. In the 2D Wigner crystal, the electrons form a triangular lattice, was predicted by Gunther Meissner and employees as theoretically 1976.

A magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the electron may be utilized to locate the more electrons ( in the Landau levels ). This enables the crystallization at higher electron densities.