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Ninhos P, Tserkezis C, Mortensen NA, Peres NMR. Tunable Exciton Polaritons in Band-Gap Engineered Hexagonal Boron Nitride. ACS NANO 2024. [PMID: 39041180 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c07003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
We show that hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a two-dimensional insulator, when subjected to an external superlattice potential forms a paradigm for electrostatically tunable excitons in the near- and mid-ultraviolet (UV). With a combination of analytical and numerical methods, we see that the imposed potential has three consequences: (i) It renormalizes the effective mass tensor, leading to anisotropic effective masses. (ii) It renormalizes the band gap, eventually reducing it. (iii) It reduces the exciton binding energies. All these consequences depend on a single dimensionless parameter, which includes the product of strength of the external potential with its period. In addition to the excitonic energy levels, we compute the optical conductivity along two orthogonal directions and from it the absorption spectrum. The results for the latter show that our system is able to mimic a grid polarizer. These characteristics make one-dimensional hBN superlattices a viable and meaningful platform for fine-tuned polaritonics in the UV to visible spectral range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Ninhos
- POLIMA─Center for Polariton-driven Light-Matter Interactions, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Christos Tserkezis
- POLIMA─Center for Polariton-driven Light-Matter Interactions, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - N Asger Mortensen
- POLIMA─Center for Polariton-driven Light-Matter Interactions, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
- D-IAS─Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Nuno M R Peres
- POLIMA─Center for Polariton-driven Light-Matter Interactions, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
- Centro de Física (CF-UM-UP) and Departamento de Física, Universidade do Minho, P-4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Av Mestre José Veiga, 4715-330 Braga, Portugal
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Meneghini G, Brem S, Malic E. Excitonic Thermalization Bottleneck in Twisted TMD Heterostructures. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:4505-4511. [PMID: 38578047 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Twisted van der Waals heterostructures show intriguing interface exciton physics, including hybridization effects and emergence of moiré potentials. Recent experiments have revealed that moiré-trapped excitons exhibit remarkable dynamics, where excited states show lifetimes that are several orders of magnitude longer than in monolayers. The origin of this behavior is still under debate. Based on a microscopic many-particle approach, we investigate the phonon-driven relaxation cascade of nonequilibrium moiré excitons in the exemplary MoSe2-WSe2 heterostructure. We track exciton relaxation pathways across different moiré mini-bands and identify the phonon-scattering channels assisting the spatial redistribution of excitons into low-energy pockets of the moiré potential. We unravel a phonon bottleneck in the flat band structure at low twist angles preventing excitons from fully thermalizing into the lowest state, explaining the measured enhanced emission intensity and lifetime of excited moiré excitons. Overall, our work provides important insights into exciton relaxation dynamics in flat-band exciton materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Meneghini
- Department of Physics, Philipps University of Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Samuel Brem
- Department of Physics, Philipps University of Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ermin Malic
- Department of Physics, Philipps University of Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
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3
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Knorr W, Brem S, Meneghini G, Malic E. Polaron-induced changes in moiré exciton propagation in twisted van der Waals heterostructures. NANOSCALE 2024. [PMID: 38623653 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00136b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Twisted transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) present an intriguing platform for exploring excitons and their transport properties. By introducing a twist angle, a moiré superlattice forms, providing a spatially dependent exciton energy landscape. Based on a microscopic many-particle theory, we investigate in this work polaron-induced changes in exciton transport properties in the exemplary MoSe2/WSe2 heterostructure. We demonstrate that polaron formation and the associated enhancement of the moiré exciton mass lead to a significant band flattening. As a result, the moiré inter-cell tunneling and the propagation velocity undergo noticeable temperature and twist-angle dependent changes. We predict a reduction of the hopping strength ranging from 80% at a twist angle of 1° to 30% at 3° at room temperature. The provided microscopic insights into the spatio-temporal exciton dynamics in presence of a moiré potential further expand the possibilities to tune charge and energy transport in 2D materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willy Knorr
- Department of Physics, Philipps University, 35037 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Samuel Brem
- Department of Physics, Philipps University, 35037 Marburg, Germany.
| | | | - Ermin Malic
- Department of Physics, Philipps University, 35037 Marburg, Germany.
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Cai CS, Lai WY, Liu PH, Chou TC, Liu RY, Lin CM, Gwo S, Hsu WT. Ultralow Auger-Assisted Interlayer Exciton Annihilation in WS 2/WSe 2 Moiré Heterobilayers. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:2773-2781. [PMID: 38285707 PMCID: PMC10921466 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterobilayers have emerged as a promising platform for exploring solid-state quantum simulators and many-body quantum phenomena. Their type II band alignment, combined with the moiré superlattice, inevitably leads to nontrivial exciton interactions and dynamics. Here, we unveil the distinct Auger annihilation processes for delocalized interlayer excitons in WS2/WSe2 moiré heterobilayers. By fitting the characteristic efficiency droop and bimolecular recombination rate, we quantitatively determine an ultralow Auger coefficient of 1.3 × 10-5 cm2 s-1, which is >100-fold smaller than that of excitons in TMD monolayers. In addition, we reveal selective exciton upconversion into the WSe2 layer, which highlights the significance of intralayer electron Coulomb interactions in dictating the microscopic scattering pathways. The distinct Auger processes arising from spatial electron-hole separation have important implications for TMD heterobilayers while endowing interlayer excitons and their strongly correlated states with unique layer degrees of freedom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Syuan Cai
- Department
of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
- National
Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Yan Lai
- Department
of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hsuan Liu
- Department
of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Chieh Chou
- Department
of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
- National
Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
| | - Ro-Ya Liu
- National
Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ming Lin
- Department
of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Shangjr Gwo
- Department
of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Ting Hsu
- Department
of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
- National
Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
- Research
Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
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Sun X, Suriyage M, Khan AR, Gao M, Zhao J, Liu B, Hasan MM, Rahman S, Chen RS, Lam PK, Lu Y. Twisted van der Waals Quantum Materials: Fundamentals, Tunability, and Applications. Chem Rev 2024; 124:1992-2079. [PMID: 38335114 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Twisted van der Waals (vdW) quantum materials have emerged as a rapidly developing field of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. These materials establish a new central research area and provide a promising platform for studying quantum phenomena and investigating the engineering of novel optoelectronic properties such as single photon emission, nonlinear optical response, magnon physics, and topological superconductivity. These captivating electronic and optical properties result from, and can be tailored by, the interlayer coupling using moiré patterns formed by vertically stacking atomic layers with controlled angle misorientation or lattice mismatch. Their outstanding properties and the high degree of tunability position them as compelling building blocks for both compact quantum-enabled devices and classical optoelectronics. This paper offers a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the understanding and manipulation of twisted van der Waals structures and presents a survey of the state-of-the-art research on moiré superlattices, encompassing interdisciplinary interests. It delves into fundamental theories, synthesis and fabrication, and visualization techniques, and the wide range of novel physical phenomena exhibited by these structures, with a focus on their potential for practical device integration in applications ranging from quantum information to biosensors, and including classical optoelectronics such as modulators, light emitting diodes, lasers, and photodetectors. It highlights the unique ability of moiré superlattices to connect multiple disciplines, covering chemistry, electronics, optics, photonics, magnetism, topological and quantum physics. This comprehensive review provides a valuable resource for researchers interested in moiré superlattices, shedding light on their fundamental characteristics and their potential for transformative applications in various fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqian Sun
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Manuka Suriyage
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Ahmed Raza Khan
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology (Rachna College Campus), Gujranwala, Lahore 54700, Pakistan
| | - Mingyuan Gao
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- College of Engineering and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Department of Quantum Science & Technology, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Boqing Liu
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Md Mehedi Hasan
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Sharidya Rahman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Ruo-Si Chen
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Ping Koy Lam
- Department of Quantum Science & Technology, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis #08-03, Singapore 138634, Republic of Singapore
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Yuerui Lu
- School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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Blundo E, Tuzi F, Cianci S, Cuccu M, Olkowska-Pucko K, Kipczak Ł, Contestabile G, Miriametro A, Felici M, Pettinari G, Taniguchi T, Watanabe K, Babiński A, Molas MR, Polimeni A. Localisation-to-delocalisation transition of moiré excitons in WSe 2/MoSe 2 heterostructures. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1057. [PMID: 38316753 PMCID: PMC10844653 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44739-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Moiré excitons (MXs) are electron-hole pairs localised by the periodic (moiré) potential forming in two-dimensional heterostructures (HSs). MXs can be exploited, e.g., for creating nanoscale-ordered quantum emitters and achieving or probing strongly correlated electronic phases at relatively high temperatures. Here, we studied the exciton properties of WSe2/MoSe2 HSs from T = 6 K to room temperature using time-resolved and continuous-wave micro-photoluminescence also under a magnetic field. The exciton dynamics and emission lineshape evolution with temperature show clear signatures that MXs de-trap from the moiré potential and turn into free interlayer excitons (IXs) for temperatures above 100 K. The MX-to-IX transition is also apparent from the exciton magnetic moment reversing its sign when the moiré potential is not capable of localising excitons at elevated temperatures. Concomitantly, the exciton formation and decay times reduce drastically. Thus, our findings establish the conditions for a truly confined nature of the exciton states in a moiré superlattice with increasing temperature and photo-generated carrier density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Blundo
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Federico Tuzi
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cianci
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marzia Cuccu
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Katarzyna Olkowska-Pucko
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łucja Kipczak
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Giorgio Contestabile
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Miriametro
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Felici
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Pettinari
- Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, National Research Council, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Takashi Taniguchi
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
| | - Kenji Watanabe
- Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
| | - Adam Babiński
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej R Molas
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Antonio Polimeni
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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