IUPAP Award Talk: Wigner crystals in a van der Waals heterostructure

A Wigner crystal is the first predicted correlated electron state and can melt via thermal and quantum phase transitions. Although several exotic electronic and magnetic phases have been predicted to exist near the quantum melting of a Wigner crystal, it has been difficult to study them due to the challenges in realizing Wigner crystals in the quantum regime. In this talk, I will discuss how van der Waals heterostructures made of atomically thin semiconductors form a new materials platform to investigate Wigner crystals and their quantum melting. I will focus on how we can use optical spectroscopy to probe correlated insulating states, their electronic order, and quantum phase transitions in van der Waals heterostructures. Finally, I will provide a perspective on the opportunities and challenges emerging from these recent demonstrations for investigating correlated phases and applications in quantum technologies.