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Published on: May 27, 2020
Perfect Coulomb drag in a dipolar excitonic insulator
Phuong X Nguyen1,2, Liguo Ma1, Raghav Chaturvedi1
1School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Researchers demonstrated perfect Coulomb drag in MoSe2/WSe2 double layers, showing charge-neutral exciton transport in excitonic insulators (EIs). This finding could enable future exciton circuitry and superfluidity applications.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Quantum Phenomena
Background:
- Excitonic insulators (EIs) are solid-state systems exhibiting bosonic phases of matter.
- Demonstrating charge-neutral exciton transport in EIs is experimentally challenging.
- Understanding exciton dynamics is crucial for novel electronic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally demonstrate and characterize exciton transport in MoSe2/WSe2 double layers.
- To investigate the conditions leading to perfect Coulomb drag in van der Waals heterostructures.
- To explore the transition from excitonic behavior to electron-hole plasma.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of MoSe2/WSe2 double layers with a 2-nanometer barrier.
- Measurement of Coulomb drag currents at varying temperatures and exciton densities.
- Application of zero magnetic field conditions.
Main Results:
- Observed perfect Coulomb drag (drag ratio > 0.9) up to 20 Kelvin in MoSe2/WSe2 double layers at equal electron and hole densities.
- Demonstrated strong interlayer excitonic correlation facilitating charge-neutral exciton transport.
- Showed abrupt dissociation of excitons into electron-hole plasma above Mott density, leading to frictional drag.
Conclusions:
- MoSe2/WSe2 double layers serve as a viable platform for realizing and studying excitonic insulators.
- The observed perfect Coulomb drag provides direct evidence of efficient exciton transport.
- This research paves the way for potential applications in exciton circuitry and superfluidity.
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