2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/29024We present results from an extensive simulational study of the modulated liquid $\longleftrightarrow$ crystal transition in a 2-d charge-stabilized colloid subject to a 1-d laser field modulation commensurate with the crystalline phase. {\em {Contrary to some earlier simulational and experimental findings we do not find any reentrant liquid phase in our simulation. Furthermore the transition remains first-order (albeit weak, with a fairly large correlation length) even in the limit of infinite field, contrary to mean-field predictions}}. In the modulated liquid phase, while the translational order decays exponentially, the bond orientational order is actually long ranged.5 pages, 6 figures, revtex style (submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett)Soft Condensed MatterStatistical Mechanicstext