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A quantum solid made of electrons: observing the elusive Wigner crystal

A quantum solid made of electrons: observing the elusive Wigner crystal

In ordinary materials, electrons move too quickly for their negative electric charges to affect their interactions. But at low temperatures and densities, they can be made to crystallize into an exotic type of electron solid — a phenomenon predicted by Eugene Wigner 90 years ago and only now directly observed.

This is a summary of: Tsui, Y.-C. et al. Direct observation of a magnetic-field-induced Wigner crystal. Nature 628, 287–292 (2024).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01211-4

References

  1. Wigner, E. Phys. Rev. 46, 1002–1011 (1934).

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