Orateur
Ilya Esterlis
(University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Description
Wigner crystals–phases in which itinerant electrons spontaneously crystallize–feature prominently in the phase diagrams of modern two-dimensional materials. Unlike conventional two-dimensional electron gases, these crystals may form in bands with substantial Berry curvature, which can qualitatively change the nature of the crystalline state. I will present variational calculations showing that the cooperative effects of Berry curvature and quantum zero-point motion can stabilize a novel spin-triplet “paired Wigner crystal.” In this state, chiral spin-triplet electron pairs occupy each unit cell.
