The Wigner transition in a magnetic field

Abstract

The criteria for the stabilization of a condensed Wigner phase are re-examined for a low-density free-electron gas (jellium) in a uniform magnetic field. By a new calculation of the Coulomb energy it is shown that below a critical density the lowest energy state has electrons in cigar-shaped charge distributions arranged on an elongated body-centred tetragonal lattice. The critical densities are computed as functions of magnetic-field strength for free electrons in astrophysical situations and for electrons of low effective mass in semiconductors. In the latter case, the results can be used to give a satisfactory interpretation of experimental results in heavily compensated InSb.