Structural properties and melting of a quasi-one-dimensional classical Wigner crystal

The properties of a quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) classical Wigner crystal are studied. The charged particles move in a plane and interact with a screened Coulomb potential (Yukawa type) and with an additional external confining parabolic potential in one direction. At T = 0 we obtain the phase diagram in the space of inverse screening length kappa and density (n) over tilde (e). The phonon spectrum was calculated for the different phases of the electron solid and its magnetic field dependence was obtained. We found that the melting of Q1D Wigner lattice shows reentrant behavior as function of the density. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.