Dresden 2006 – scientific programme
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DY: Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 21: Statistical Physics (general) I
DY 21.4: Talk
Tuesday, March 28, 2006, 10:45–11:00, SCH 251
Hole crystallization in semiconductors — •Michael Bonitz1, Vladimir Filinov2, and Holger Fehske3 — 1Institut for Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University Kiel, Leibnizstr. 15, 24098 Kiel — 2Institute for High Energy Density, Russian Academy of Sciences, Izhorskay 13/19, Moscow 127412, Russia — 3Institute of Physics, University Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald
Electrons and holes in a solid are normally delocalized over the crystal lattice. However, it has been speculated [1,2] that, for a sufficiently large mass ratio M=mh/me, hole localization and even crystallization should be possible. We present a theoretical analysis of the conditions of hole crystallization which yields a critical mass ratio M of about 80 and predictions of the possible density and temperature range. We also discuss the close relation of the hole crystals to ion crystals in classical plasmas and in ultradense stellar objects such as White Dwarfs and neutron stars.
A phase diagram of Coulomb crystals in electron-hole plasmas which is applicable to generic plasmas with two charge components is presented. The analytical results are confirmed by extensive first principle path integral Monte Carlo simulations which cover the transition from an excitonic gas to a hole crystal embedded into a Fermi gas of electrons.
[1] B.I. Halperin, and T.M. Rice, Rev. Mod. Phys. 40, 755 (1968);
[2] A.A. Abrikosov, J. Less-Comm. Metals 62, 451 (1978);
[3] M. Bonitz, V.S. Filinov, V.E. Fortov, P.R. Levashov, and H. Fehske, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2005), accepted