Magnetic field induced phase transition of a three-dimensional electron gas

doi:10.1016/0038-1098(80)90919-9

Solid State Communications

Volume 36, Issue 5, November 1980, Pages 397-401

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Abstract

It is shown within the Hartree-Fock approximation that the electron gas in a strong magnetic field undergoes a phase transition to a charge density wave (CDW) state. The transition temperature T_c is calculated as a function of the magnetic field strength B. With increasing B, the nature of the electron system at T_c changes from degenerate to non-degenerate. For moderate values of B a second order transition to a unidirectional CDW is obtained, and for large B a first order transition to a CDW with the symmetry of a hexagonal lattice. If material parameters are adapted to Hg_.8Cd_.2Te, T_c is of the order of 1K for B values near 5T.

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Magnetic field induced phase transition of a three-dimensional electron gas

Abstract

Solid State Comm.

Solid State Comm.

Phys. Rev. Letters

J. Phys. C