APS Logo

Bilayer Wigner crystals in van der Waals heterostructures

ORAL

Abstract

A Wigner crystal is the earliest predicted correlated electron state and exhibits intriguing quantum phase transitions. Here we report the observation of bilayer Wigner crystals in an atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructure, where two MoSe2 monolayers are separated by a thin layer of hexagonal boron nitride. We observe optical signatures of robust correlated insulating states when fixing the electron density ratio between the two layers at specific values. We attribute these features to bilayer Wigner crystals composed of two interlocked commensurate triangular electron lattices, stabilized by inter-layer interaction. Using optical probes, we characterize the phase transitions of the Wigner crystals. Our results demonstrate that an atomically thin heterostructure is a highly tunable platform for realizing many-body electronic states and probing their quantum phase transitions.

–

Publication: Nature 595 (7865), 48-52 (2021)

Presenters

  • You Zhou

    University of Maryland, College Park

Authors

  • You Zhou

    University of Maryland, College Park

  • Jiho Sung

    Harvard University

  • Elise Brutschea

    Harvard University

  • Esterlis Ilya

    Harvard University

  • Yao Wang

    Clemson University, clemson university, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University

  • Giovanni Scuri

    Harvard University

  • Ryan J Gelly

    Harvard University

  • Hoseok Heo

    Harvard University

  • Takashi Taniguchi

    National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science, NIMS, Kyoto Univ, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan., 3 National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science; 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, National Institute of Materials Science, Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan), International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan, Kyoto University, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for MaterialsScience, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan, National Institute for Material Science, Japan, National Institute for Material Science, National Institute of Material Sciences, Japan, NIMS, Tsukuba, 2National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan., National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan., NIMS, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), NIMS. Japan, International Center for Material Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, International Center for Material Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, National Institute for Materials Science Tsukuba, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, National Institute for Materials Science of Japan, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan, NIMS - National Institute for Material Science, Japan, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Material Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan., National Institute for Material Science, Tsukuba, National Institute for Materials Science, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, National Institute of Material Science, National Institute for Materials Science,1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan

  • Kenji Watanabe

    National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science, NIMS, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan., Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Advanced, Materials Laboratory, NIMS, 3 National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science; 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, National Institute of Materials Science, Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan), National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan, National Institute for Material Science, Japan, National Institute for Material Science, National Institute of Material Sciences, Japan, NIMS, Tsukuba, 2National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan., National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science Japan, NIMS, Japan, nims, National Institute for Materials Science, Research Center for Functional Materials, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science Tsukuba, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, National Institute for Materials Science of Japan, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan, NIMS - National Institute for Material Science, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Material Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan., National Institute for Material Science, Tsukuba, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), National Institute for Materials Science, Research Center for Functional Materials, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan, National Institute of Material Science, Kyoto Univ, National Institute for Materials Science,1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan

  • Gergely Zarand

    Budapest University of Technology and Economics

  • Mikhail Lukin

    Harvard University

  • Philip Kim

    Harvard University

  • Eugene Demler

    ETH Zurich, ETH Zürich

  • Hongkun Park

    Harvard University