Quantum Zigzag Phase Transition in Quantum Wires

We use Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) techniques to study the quantum phase transition of interacting electrons in quantum wires to a quasi-one dimensional zigzag phase. The phase diagram of particles with Coulomb interaction that undergo a linear to zigzag transition is relevant to electrons in quantum wires [Meyer et al, PRL 2007] and ions in linear traps [Simshoni et al., PRL 2011]. Interacting electrons confined to a wire by a transverse harmonic potential form a Wigner crystal at low densities; as density increases, symmetry about the axis of the wire is broken and the electrons undergo a transition to a quasi-one-dimensional zigzag phase. Using QMC, we characterize this phase transition by measuring the power spectrum and addition energies.