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A tunable bilayer Hubbard model in twisted WSe2

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

Y. Xu
K. Kang
K. Watanabe
T. Taniguchi
K.F. Mak
J. Shan

Abstract

Moiré materials with flat electronic bands provide a highly controllable quantum system for studies of strong-correlation physics and topology. In particular, angle-aligned heterobilayers of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides with large band offset realize the single-band Hubbard model. Introduction of a new layer degree of freedom is expected to foster richer interactions, enabling Hund’s physics, interlayer exciton condensation and new superconducting pairing mechanisms to name a few. Here we report competing electronic states in twisted AB-homobilayer WSe2, which realizes a bilayer Hubbard model in the weak interlayer hopping limit for holes. By layer-polarizing holes via a perpendicular electric field, we observe a crossover from an excitonic insulator to a charge-transfer insulator at a hole density of ν = 1 (in units of moiré density), a transition from a paramagnetic to an antiferromagnetic charge-transfer insulator at ν = 2 and evidence for a layer-selective Mott insulator at 1 < ν < 2. The unique coupling of charge and spin to external electric and magnetic fields also manifests a giant magnetoelectric response. Our results establish a new solid-state simulator for the bilayer Hubbard model Hamiltonian. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

Date Published

Journal

Nature Nanotechnology

Volume

17

Issue

9

Number of Pages

934-939,

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85135280162&doi=10.1038%2fs41565-022-01180-7&partnerID=40&md5=e3a923a0f8963f09a211d1239b615218

DOI

10.1038/s41565-022-01180-7

Group (Lab)

Jie Shan Group
Kin Fai Mak Group

Funding Source

DMR-2114535
N00014-21-1-2471
DE-SC0019481
DE-SC0022058
NNCI-2025233
JPMJCR15F3
2021YFA1401300

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