Imaging two-dimensional generalized Wigner crystals

Journal Article · Wed Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Nature (London)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03874-9· OSTI ID:2204398

Li, Hongyuan ^[1]; Li, Shaowei ^[2]; Regan, Emma C. ^[1]; Wang, Danqing ^[3]; Zhao, Wenyu ^[3]; Kahn, Salman ^[1]; Yumigeta, Kentaro ^[4]; Blei, Mark ^[4]; Taniguchi, Takashi ^[5]; Watanabe, Kenji ^[6]; Tongay, Sefaattin ^[4]; Zettl, Alex ^[7]; Crommie, Michael F. ^[7]; Wang, Feng ^[7]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
2. Univ. of California, Berkeley and San Diego, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, Berkeley, CA (United States)
3. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
4. Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)
5. National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba (Japan). International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics
6. National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba (Japan). Research Center for Functional Materials
7. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, Berkeley, CA (United States)

The Wigner crystal has fascinated condensed matter physicists for nearly 90 years. Signatures of two-dimensional (2D) Wigner crystals were first observed in 2D electron gases under high magnetic field, and recently reported in transition metal dichalcogenide moiré superlattices. Direct observation of the 2D Wigner crystal lattice in real space, however, has remained an outstanding challenge. Conventional scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) has sufficient spatial resolution but induces perturbations that can potentially alter this fragile state. Here we demonstrate real-space imaging of 2D Wigner crystals in WSe₂/WS₂ moiré heterostructures using a specially designed non-invasive STM spectroscopy technique. This employs a graphene sensing layer held close to the WSe₂/WS₂ moiré superlattice. Local STM tunnel current into the graphene layer is modulated by the underlying Wigner crystal electron lattice in the WSe₂/WS₂ heterostructure. Different Wigner crystal lattice configurations at fractional electron fillings of n = 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3, where n is the electron number per site, are directly visualized. The n = 1/3 and n = 2/3 Wigner crystals exhibit triangular and honeycomb lattices, respectively, to minimize nearest-neighbour occupations. The n = 1/2 state spontaneously breaks the original C3 symmetry and forms a stripe phase. Here our study lays a solid foundation for understanding Wigner crystal states in WSe₂/WS₂ moiré heterostructures and provides an approach that is generally applicable for imaging novel correlated electron lattices in other systems.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); US Army Research Office (ARO); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (MSE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231; SC0020653
• OSTI ID: 2204398
• Journal Information: Nature (London), Journal Name: Nature (London) Journal Issue: 7878 Vol. 597; ISSN 0028-0836
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Electronic properties and materials
Quantum fluids and solids
Scanning probe microscopy
Two-dimensional materials