Imaging Electron-Hole Asymmetry in the Quantum Melting of Generalized Wigner Crystals
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866915684259201024 |
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| author | Berger, Emma Arumainayagam, Michael Dong, Zhihuan Schneider, Lucas Wang, Tianle Nichols, Greyson Kahn, Salman Dutta, Rwik Wang, Gaoqiang Taniguchi, Takashi Watanabe, Kenji Naik, Mit H. Zaletel, Michael P. Wang, Feng Crommie, Michael F. |
| author_facet | Berger, Emma Arumainayagam, Michael Dong, Zhihuan Schneider, Lucas Wang, Tianle Nichols, Greyson Kahn, Salman Dutta, Rwik Wang, Gaoqiang Taniguchi, Takashi Watanabe, Kenji Naik, Mit H. Zaletel, Michael P. Wang, Feng Crommie, Michael F. |
| contents | Two-dimensional moiré materials provide a versatile platform to explore phase transitions in strongly correlated systems. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) we have imaged the density-driven melting of generalized Wigner crystals (GWCs) and Mott insulators (MIs) in electron-doped, near-60° twisted MoSe2 bilayers featuring a triangular moiré superlattice. We observe striking electron-hole asymmetry in GWC melting: hole-doped GWCs yield interaction-driven disordered states whereas electron-doped GWCs melt into delocalized liquid-like states. This asymmetry arises from the broken particle-hole symmetry of the moiré superlattice, which produces electron and hole Fermi pockets with different momentum geometries upon GWC condensation. MI states melt without such asymmetry, consistent with the absence of a symmetry-breaking density modulation. This work provides direct visualization of the novel emergent phases that appear as GWCs undergo quantum melting transitions. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_16050 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Imaging Electron-Hole Asymmetry in the Quantum Melting of Generalized Wigner Crystals Berger, Emma Arumainayagam, Michael Dong, Zhihuan Schneider, Lucas Wang, Tianle Nichols, Greyson Kahn, Salman Dutta, Rwik Wang, Gaoqiang Taniguchi, Takashi Watanabe, Kenji Naik, Mit H. Zaletel, Michael P. Wang, Feng Crommie, Michael F. Strongly Correlated Electrons Two-dimensional moiré materials provide a versatile platform to explore phase transitions in strongly correlated systems. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) we have imaged the density-driven melting of generalized Wigner crystals (GWCs) and Mott insulators (MIs) in electron-doped, near-60° twisted MoSe2 bilayers featuring a triangular moiré superlattice. We observe striking electron-hole asymmetry in GWC melting: hole-doped GWCs yield interaction-driven disordered states whereas electron-doped GWCs melt into delocalized liquid-like states. This asymmetry arises from the broken particle-hole symmetry of the moiré superlattice, which produces electron and hole Fermi pockets with different momentum geometries upon GWC condensation. MI states melt without such asymmetry, consistent with the absence of a symmetry-breaking density modulation. This work provides direct visualization of the novel emergent phases that appear as GWCs undergo quantum melting transitions. |
| title | Imaging Electron-Hole Asymmetry in the Quantum Melting of Generalized Wigner Crystals |
| topic | Strongly Correlated Electrons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.16050 |