Valley-spin polarization at zero magnetic field induced by strong hole-hole interactions in monolayer WSe$_2$

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that strong hole-hole interactions in monolayer WSe₂ induce a zero-field valley-spin polarized ferromagnetic state, tunable via gating, advancing valleytronic device potential.

Contribution

It reveals a novel zero-field valley-spin polarization driven by interactions in 1D monolayer WSe₂, a significant step beyond prior non-interacting models.

Findings

Hole-hole interactions induce ferromagnetism without magnetic field.

Spin-valley polarization can be tuned by back-gate voltage.

Observation of stable valley-polarized state in 1D monolayer WSe₂.

Abstract

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides have emerged as prominent candidates to explore the complex interplay between the spin and the valleys degrees of freedom. The strong spin-orbit interaction and broken inversion symmetry within these materials lead to the spin-valley locking effect, in which carriers occupying the K and K' valleys of the reciprocal space must have opposite spin depending on which valley they reside. This effect is particularly strong for holes due to a larger spin-orbit gap in the valence band. By reducing the dimensionality of a monolayer of tungsten diselenide to 1D via electrostatic confinement, we demonstrate that spin-valley locking in combination with strong hole-hole interactions lead to a ferromagnetic state in which hole transport through the 1D system is spin-valley polarized, even without an applied magnetic field, and that the persistence of this spin-valley polarized configuration can be tuned by a global back-gate. This observation opens the possibility of implementing a robust and stable valley polarized system, essential for valleytronic applications.