Stacked Layers of Atom-thin Material Reveal Complex Physical Phenomena

March 20, 2020 • by Staff Writer

A team led by Cornell University, including UT Austin's Allan MacDonald, has successfully demonstrated a two-dimensional Hubbard model simulator using stacked semiconductor layers. Their research, published in *Nature*, revealed a Mott insulating state and mapped the system’s magnetic phase diagram, advancing the study of quantum particle interactions.

Monolayers

Cornell researchers stacked two atomic monolayers of a semiconductor – tungsten disulfide and tungsten diselenide – to create a moiré superlattice that acts as a simulator for the Hubbard model. This simplified system enables the team to better understand the essential physics of many interacting quantum particles. (Courtesy: Cornell Chronicle at Cornell University)


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