Abstract
We present time-resolved transport measurements of a Wigner solid (WS) on the surface of liquid helium confined in a micron-scale channel. At rest, the WS is “dressed” by a cloud of quantized capillary waves (ripplons). Under a driving force, we find that repeated WS-ripplon decoupling leads to stick-slip current oscillations, the frequency of which can be tuned by adjusting the temperature, pressing electric field, or electron density. The WS on liquid He is a promising system for the study of polaronlike decoupling dynamics.
- Received 28 October 2015
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.206801
© 2016 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Viewpoint
Stick-Slip Motion in a Quantum Field
Published 16 May 2016
An electron crystal sliding on liquid helium exhibits a qualitatively new type of stick-slip motion, resulting from the coupling of the electrons to a quantum field.
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