title: Observation of dynamical ordering in a confined Wigner crystal.
abstract: We present measurements of the conduction of nondegenerate free electrons along a low-dimensional channel at low temperatures, using surface-state electrons on liquid helium in novel microelectronic devices. Above 1 K, the electrons form an ideal classical Drude conductor. Below 1 K, Coulomb interactions produce electronic spatial order, leading to strong non-Ohmic effects and negative differential conductivity. Evidence is presented for self-organized current filaments in the channel, created by a nonequilibrium phase transition. Periodic conductance oscillations suggest an anisotropic spatial order with lines of electrons along the channel edges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glasson
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dotsenko
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fozooni
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lea
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kristensen