Impact of an Electron Wigner Crystal on Exciton Propagation

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

The strong Coulomb interaction in 2D materials facilitates the formation of tightly bound excitons and charge-ordered phases of matter. A prominent example is the formation of a crystalline phase from free charges due to Coulomb repulsion, known as the Wigner crystal. While exciton–electron interactions have been used as a sensor for Wigner crystallization, its impact on the exciton properties has so far been poorly understood. Here, we show that the weak potential induced by periodically ordered Wigner crystal electrons has a major impact on exciton propagation, albeit having only a minor influence on exciton energy. The effect is tunable with carrier density determining the Wigner crystal confinement and temperature via thermal occupation of higher subbands. Our work provides microscopic insights into the interplay between excitons and charge-ordered states identifying key signatures in exciton transport and establishes a theoretical framework for understanding exciton propagation in the presence of strong electronic correlations.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5002-5008
Number of pages7
JournalNano letters
Volume26
Issue number15
Publication statusPublished - 22 Apr 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 41812256
ORCID /0000-0002-9213-2777/work/214452802

Keywords

Keywords

  • 2D materials, exciton propagation, transition-metal dichalcogenides, Wigner crystal