Wigner Crystals in Two-Dimensional Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides: Spin Physics and Readout

TL;DR

This paper proposes using self-assembled Wigner crystals in transition-metal dichalcogenides for quantum simulation of spin systems, highlighting optical detection methods for charge and spin order with potential for minimal invasiveness.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to realize and detect Wigner crystals in 2D semiconductors for quantum simulation, leveraging optical techniques for charge and spin readout.

Findings

Optical signals strongly depend on lattice periodicity, revealing charge order.

Faraday rotation enables direct access to spin degrees of freedom.

Transition-metal dichalcogenides facilitate minimally invasive detection of Wigner crystals.

Abstract

Wigner crystals are prime candidates for the realization of regular electron lattices under minimal requirements on external control and electronics. However, several technical challenges have prevented their detailed experimental investigation and applications to date. We propose an implementation of two-dimensional electron lattices for quantum simulation of Ising spin systems based on self-assembled Wigner crystals in transition-metal dichalcogenides. We show that these semiconductors allow for minimally invasive all-optical detection schemes of charge ordering and total spin. For incident light with optimally chosen beam parameters and polarization, we predict a strong dependence of the transmitted and reflected signals on the underlying lattice periodicity, thus revealing the charge order inherent in Wigner crystals. At the same time, the selection rules in transition-metal dichalcogenides provide direct access to the spin degree of freedom via Faraday rotation measurements.