Imaging Electron-Hole Asymmetry in the Quantum Melting of Generalized Wigner Crystals
Abstract
Two-dimensional moir\'e 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{\deg} twisted MoSe2 bilayers featuring a triangular moir\'e 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 moir\'e 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.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.16050,
title = {Imaging Electron-Hole Asymmetry in the Quantum Melting of Generalized Wigner Crystals},
author = {Emma Berger and Michael Arumainayagam and Zhihuan Dong and Lucas Schneider and Tianle Wang and Greyson Nichols and Salman Kahn and Rwik Dutta and Gaoqiang Wang and Takashi Taniguchi and Kenji Watanabe and Mit H. Naik and Michael P. Zaletel and Feng Wang and Michael F. Crommie},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.16050},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
49 pages (Main Text - 22 pages, 5 figures + SI - 27 pages, 12 Figures)