arXiv · 1707.08406
Phase transition from a composite fermion liquid to a Wigner solid in the lowest Landau level of ZnO
Abstract
Interactions between the constituents of a condensed matter system can drive it through a plethora of different phases due to many-body effects. A prominent platform for this type of behavior is a two-dimensional electron system in a magnetic field, which evolves intricately through various gaseous, liquid and solids phases governed by Coulomb interaction. Here we report on the experimental observation of a phase transition between the Laughlin liquid of composite fermions and the adjacent insulating phase of a magnetic field-induced Wigner solid. The experiments are performed in the lowest Landau level of a MgZnO/ZnO two-dimensional electron system with attributes of both a liquid and a solid. An in-plane magnetic field component applied on top of the perpendicular magnetic field extends the Wigner phase further into the liquid phase region. Our observations indicate the direct competition between a Wigner solid and a Laughlin liquid both formed by composite particles rather than bare electrons.
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D. Maryenko, A. McCollam, J. Falson, Y. Kozuka, J. Bruin, U. Zeitler, M. Kawasaki. 2017-07-26. Phase transition from a composite fermion liquid to a Wigner solid in the lowest Landau level of ZnO. https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.08406
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