Lithography-Defined Semiconductor Moirés with Anomalous In-Gap Quantum Hall States.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Quantum Information Science

Background:

• Quantum materials and phenomena are crucial for next-generation microelectronics and quantum information technologies.
• Moiré superlattices (MSLs) in 2D materials exhibit novel quantum phenomena but face reproducibility and scalability issues.
• Current fabrication methods for 2D MSLs (exfoliate-tear-stack) hinder practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and experimentally investigate lithography-defined semiconductor MSLs as a scalable alternative to 2D MSLs.
• To demonstrate the designability of key quantum parameters: electron-electron interaction, spin-orbit coupling, and band topology.
• To explore novel quantum transport properties in semiconductor-based moiré systems.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of semiconductor MSLs using lithography techniques on an InAs quantum well.
• Experimental investigation of quantum transport properties.
• Analysis of in-gap states within quantum Hall states.

Main Results:

• Successful creation of lithography-defined semiconductor MSLs with designable parameters.
• Observation of strong anomalous in-gap states within the same integer quantum Hall state.
• Demonstration of semiconductor MSLs exhibiting superior industry-level quality and compatibility with state-of-the-art technologies.

Conclusions:

• Lithography-defined semiconductor MSLs offer a promising platform for studying quantum materials phenomena.
• This approach overcomes the limitations of 2D MSLs, paving the way for scalable quantum technologies.
• The developed system may enable advancements in quantum information processing and semiconductor microelectronics.