Realization of a Kondo Insulator in a Multilayer Moire Superlattice

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental realization of a Kondo insulator phase in a multilayer moire superlattice of transition metal dichalcogenides, demonstrating a tunable platform for studying strongly correlated electron systems.

Contribution

The work introduces a new platform using multilayer moire superlattices to realize and study Kondo insulators, combining experimental observation with theoretical modeling.

Findings

Observation of an insulating state at specific doping levels

Disappearance of the insulator under magnetic field, indicating Kondo physics

Agreement with a periodic Anderson lattice model

Abstract

Kondo insulators are a paradigmatic strongly correlated electron system, arising from the hybridization between itinerary conduction electrons and localized magnetic moments, which opens a gap in the band of conduction electrons. Traditionally, the known Kondo insulators are found in materials with f-electrons. Recent developments in two-dimensional (2D) moire systems provide a new approach to generate flat bands with strong electron correlation, which host localized moments at half filling. In this work, we demonstrate the realization of a Kondo insulator phase in a moire superlattice of monolayer WS2 / bilayer WSe2 which hosts a set of moire flat bands in the WSe2 layer interfacing the WS2 layer and dispersive bands in the other WSe2 layer. When both WSe2 layers are partially doped but with a total density of two holes per moire unit cell, an insulating state appears when the density of the moire band is below one hole per moire unit cell. The insulating state disappears above a certain threshold magnetic field and the system becomes metallic, which is a telltale signature of the Kondo insulator. The physics can be well explained by a periodic Anderson lattice model that includes both the on-site Coulomb repulsion in the moire flat band and the hybridization between moire flat and non-moire dispersive bands. Our results suggest that multilayer moire structures of transition metal dichalcogenides provide a tunable platform to simulate the Kondo insulator, which holds promise to tackle many critical open questions in the Kondo insulators.