Finite-temperature Wigner solid and other phases of ripplonic polarons on a helium film

Abstract

Electrons on liquid helium can form different phases depending on density, and temperature. Also the electron-ripplon coupling strength influences the phase diagram, through the formation of so-called "ripplonic polarons", that change how electrons are localized, and that shifts the transition between the Wigner solid and the liquid phase. We use an all-coupling, finite-temperature variational method to study the formation of a ripplopolaron Wigner solid on a liquid helium film for different regimes of the electron-ripplon coupling strength. In addition to the three known phases of the ripplopolaron system (electron Wigner solid, polaron Wigner solid, and electron fluid), we define and identify a fourth distinct phase, the ripplopolaron liquid. We analyse the transitions between these four phases and calculate the corresponding phase diagrams. This reveals a reentrant melting of the electron solid as a function of temperature. The calculated regions of existence of the Wigner solid are in agreement with recent experimental data.

12 pages, 6 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1012.4576, arXiv:0709.4140 by other authors

References in corpus (5)

• Stick-Slip Motion of the Wigner Solid on Liquid Helium
• Signal and Charge Transfer Efficiency of Few Electrons Clocked on Microscopic Superfluid Helium Channels
• The dynamics of colloids in a narrow channel driven by a non-uniform force
• Generic ordering of structural transitions in quasi-one-dimensional Wigner crystals
• Chain-like transitions in Wigner crystals: Sequential or non-sequential?

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Ripplonic Lamb shift for electrons on liquid helium
• Melting, Reentrant Ordering and Peak Effect for Wigner Crystals with Quenched and Thermal Disorder