Spatiotemporal observation of quantum crystallization of electrons

This paper investigates the spatiotemporal observation of electronic crystallization in an organic material, θ-(BEDT-TTF)₂RbZn(SCN)₄, addressing the universal and specific features of crystallization in quantum systems. Using Raman microspectroscopy, the researchers imaged the crystallization process in real space and real time. The results reveal temperature-dependent nucleation and growth rates, similar to conventional crystallization, but with a growth rate many orders of magnitude faster. This unusually fast growth kinetics is attributed to the quantum nature of the electrons and a quantum-to-classical catastrophe.

Hideaki Murase, Shunto Arai, Tatsuo Hasegawa, Kazuya Miyagawa, Kazushi Kanoda