Topology, magnetism and charge order in twisted MoTe2 at higher integer hole fillings

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex phase diagram of twisted MoTe2 at higher integer hole fillings, revealing various magnetic and topological states through a combination of first-principles modeling and Hartree-Fock analysis.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive theoretical study of interaction-driven phases at higher hole fillings in twisted MoTe2, including valley polarized and intervalley coherent states, expanding understanding beyond previous focus areas.

Findings

Identification of valley polarized states at odd fillings

Discovery of intervalley coherent states at even fillings

Analysis of the Chern insulator at nu_h = 2

Abstract

Twisted homobilayer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) attracts an expanding experimental interest recently for exhibiting a variety of topological and magnetic states even at zero magnetic field. Most of the studies right now focus on hole filling nu_h < 1, while a rich phase diagram at higher hole filling calls for more investigation. We perform a thorough survey of possible interaction-driven phases at higher integer hole fillings. We first construct the continuum model from a first-principles calculation, and then perform a self-consistent Hartree-Fock study of the interacting ground states. We identify various valley polarized (VP) states at odd integer fillings and intervalley coherent (IVC) states at even integer fillings and discuss the energetics competition among them. We also discuss the origin and the experimental implications of the curious Chern insulator at nu_h = 2.