Single and Paired Point Defects in a 2D Wigner Crystal

Abstract

Using the path-integral Monte Carlo method, we calculate the energy to form single and pair vacancies and interstitials in a two-dimensional Wigner crystal of electrons. We confirm that the lowest-lying energy defects of a 2D electron Wigner crystal are interstitials, with a creation energy roughly 2/3 that of a vacancy. The formation energy of the defects goes to zero near melting, suggesting that point defects might mediate the melting process. In addition, we find that the interaction between defects is strongly attractive, so that most defects will exist as bound pairs.

4 pages, 5 encapsulated figures

References in corpus (4)

• Wigner crystallization and metal-insulator transition of two-dimensional holes in GaAs/AlGaAs at B=0
• The Effect of Spin Splitting on the Metallic Behavior of a Two-Dimensional System
• Response to Parallel Magnetic Field of a Dilute 2D Electron System across the Metal-Insulator Transition
• Effect of Local Magnetic Moments on the Metallic Behavior in Two Dimensions

Cited by in corpus (11)

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• Topological Defects and Non-homogeneous Melting of Large 2D Coulomb Clusters
• Interstitial-induced ferromagnetism in a two-dimensional Wigner crystal
• Novel Ground-State Crystals with Controlled Vacancy Concentrations: From Kagomé to Honeycomb to Stripes
• Comparison of two non-primitive methods for path integral simulations: Higher-order corrections vs. an effective propagator approach
• Formation energy and interaction of point defects in two-dimensional colloidal crystals
• Topological defect motifs in two-dimensional Coulomb clusters
• Defect liquids in a weakly imbalanced bilayer Wigner Crystal
• From the Fermi Liquid Towards the Wigner Solid in Two Dimensions
• Hartree-Fock energy of a density wave in a spin polarized two-dimensional electron gas
• Defects in Wigner crystals: fracton-elasticity duality and vacancy proliferation