https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/s10051-025-01034-w
Research - Condensed Matter
A 1D ion chain on a laser field: a Wigner solid with vacancies
1
Mathematisches Institut, Universität Leipzig, 04009 Leipzig, PF 100920, Germany
2
Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Secció de Química Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
3
Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional, (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
Received:
28
June
2025
Accepted:
28
August
2025
Published online:
15
September
2025
Trapped ions in a periodic potential are a paradigm of a frustrated Wigner crystal. We study a model for a 1D chain of such ions, as well as an approximation by a Frenkel–Kontorova model. The FK model, however, has other long-range properties. We discuss the meaning of structures like kink or anti-kink in the frame of the soliton theory, and that ion chains with large distances against the laser frame can have difficulties to move solitons. We study the case with 3 particles only for which all important properties can be demonstrated.
© The Author(s) 2025
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