DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL THEORY OF WIGNER CRYSTALLIZATION IN 2 DIMENSIONS

Through a quantum-mechanical analogue of the Ramakrishnan and Yussouff theory of freezing for classical systems, Wigner crystallization is studied here for a two-dimensional electron gas in a uniform neutralizing background. The prediction of the phase transition of the electron fluid to a Wigner solid corresponding to a triangular lattice at low electron density is shown to compare well with the corresponding computer-simulation results of Tanatar and Ceperley. © 1995 The American Physical Society.