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Gate-tunable heavy fermions in a moiré Kondo lattice

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

W. Zhao
B. Shen
Z. Tao
Z. Han
K. Kang
K. Watanabe
T. Taniguchi
K.F. Mak
J. Shan

Abstract

The Kondo lattice—a matrix of local magnetic moments coupled through spin-exchange interactions to itinerant conduction electrons—is a prototype of strongly correlated quantum matter1–4. Usually, Kondo lattices are realized in intermetallic compounds containing lanthanide or actinide1,2. The complex electronic structure and limited tunability of both the electron density and exchange interactions in these bulk materials pose considerable challenges to studying Kondo lattice physics. Here we report the realization of a synthetic Kondo lattice in AB-stacked MoTe2/WSe2 moiré bilayers, in which the MoTe2 layer is tuned to a Mott insulating state, supporting a triangular moiré lattice of local moments, and the WSe2 layer is doped with itinerant conduction carriers. We observe heavy fermions with a large Fermi surface below the Kondo temperature. We also observe the destruction of the heavy fermions by an external magnetic field with an abrupt decrease in the Fermi surface size and quasi-particle mass. We further demonstrate widely and continuously gate-tunable Kondo temperatures through either the itinerant carrier density or the Kondo interaction. Our study opens the possibility of in situ access to the phase diagram of the Kondo lattice with exotic quantum criticalities in a single device based on semiconductor moiré materials2–9. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

Date Published

Journal

Nature

Volume

616

Issue

7955

Number of Pages

61-65,

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85149965052&doi=10.1038%2fs41586-023-05800-7&partnerID=40&md5=27e8decabd551a0d8e273a71e0028757

DOI

10.1038/s41586-023-05800-7

Group (Lab)

Jie Shan Group
Kin Fai Mak Group

Funding Source

DMR-2004451
DMR-2039380
NNCI-2025233
FA9550-19-1-0390
DE-SC0019481
DMR-1719875
JPMJCR15F3

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