Distortion of the 2d wigner crystal into a 'QUASI-3D' insulator

Applying high magnetic fields parallel to the surface of a high-mobility 2D electron gas, we have recently observed a transition from the fractional quantum Hall liquid to an insulating phase, for filling factors as high as ν = 0.8 [B. A. Piot et al., Nature Phys. doi:10.1038/nphys1094]. This transition can be seen as a continuous distortion of the 2D Wigner crystal into a 'quasi-3D' insulating state. Here, we provide additional arguments confirming that carrier localization cannot be accounted for by disorder effects alone, and instead is most likely due to the stabilization of an electron solid by the strong parallel magnetic field in a 'quasi-3D' geometry.