Hybrid Phase at the Quantum Melting of the Wigner Crystal

Abstract

We study the quantum melting of the two-dimensional Wigner crystal using a fixed node quantum Monte Carlo approach. In addition to the two already known phases (Fermi liquid at large density and Wigner crystal at low density), we find a third stable phase at intermediate values of the density. The third phase has hybrid behaviors in between a liquid and a solid. This hybrid phase has the nodal structure of a Slater determinant constructed out of the bands of a triangular lattice.