arXiv subjects

Johannes Figueiredo

Publications and source records attributed to Johannes Figueiredo.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Controlling the Atomic Reconstruction in Twisted MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ with a Monolayer hBN Spacer

Twisted van der Waals heterobilayers are a promising material platform for studying collective exciton many-body phenomena, but near-aligned structures often exhibit a local, anisotropic atomic reconstruction that compromises lateral homogeneity. The present study describes how atomic-scale rearrangement in adjacent regions of hBN-encapsulated, near-aligned MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterobilayers is controlled by the presence of a mono- or bilayer hBN spacer between the two monolayers. High-angle annular dark-field STEM directly resolves the atomic alignment in both layers and shows that the spacer suppresses the reconstruction and strongly increases the structural uniformity of the heterobilayers. 4D-STEM quantitatively maps local rotation, dilation, and heterostrain, revealing that the separated regions remain consistent with rigid moiré superlattice simulations, whereas without the spacer the structural parameters have two to three times broader distributions. By suppressing reconstruction, ultrathin hBN spacers therefore provide an effective route to enhance lattice homogeneity in MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterobilayers targeting collective excitonic and optoelectronic phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

High-Energy Interlayer Exciton Ensembles in MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ Heterostructures by Laguerre-Gaussian Excitation

We reveal the higher energetic luminescence part of interlayer exciton ensembles in MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterostructures upon excitation by an optical Laguerre-Gaussian mode. The excitation is achieved with the help of a spatial light modulator giving rise to a ring-shaped distribution of interlayer excitons. A hyperspectral analysis of the exciton photoluminescence suggests that the excitation scheme allows the accumulation of high-energetic excitons in the rings' center. We discuss the mechanisms leading to such a distribution, including exciton-exciton interaction, phase-space filling, and an incomplete thermalization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Quantifying the creation of negatively charged boron vacancies in He-ion irradiated hexagonal boron nitride

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) hosts luminescent defects possessing spin qualities compatible with quantum sensing protocols at room temperature. Vacancies, in particular, are readily obtained via exposure to high-energy ion beams. While the defect creation mechanism via such irradiation is well understood, the occurrence rate of optically active negatively charged vacancies ($V_B^-$) is an open question. In this work, we exploit focused helium ions to systematically generate optically active vacancy defects in hBN flakes at varying density. By comparing the density-dependent spin splitting measured by magnetic resonance to calculations based on a microscopic charge model, in which we introduce a correction term due to a constant background charge, we are able to quantify the number of $V_B^-$ defects generated by the ion irradiation. We find a lower bound for the fraction (0.2%) of all vacancies in the optically active, negatively charged state. Our results provide a protocol for measuring the generation efficiency of $V_B^-$, which is necessary for understanding and optimizing luminescent centers in hBN.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Laterally Extended States of Interlayer Excitons in Reconstructed MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ Heterostructures

Heterostructures made from 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides are known as ideal platforms to explore excitonic phenomena ranging from correlated moiré excitons to degenerate interlayer exciton ensembles. So far, it is assumed that the atomic reconstruction appearing in some of the heterostructures gives rise to a dominating localization of the exciton states. We demonstrate that excitonic states in reconstructed MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterostructures can extend well beyond the moiré periodicity of the investigated heterostructures. The results are based on real-space calculations yielding a lateral potential map for interlayer excitons within the strain-relaxed heterostructures and corresponding real-space excitonic wavefunctions. We combine the theoretical results with cryogenic photoluminescence experiments, which support the computed level structure and relaxation characteristics of the interlayer excitons.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Lasing of Moiré Trapped MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ Interlayer Excitons Coupled to a Nanocavity

We report lasing of moiré trapped interlayer excitons (IXs) by integrating a pristine hBN-encapsulated MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterobilayer into a high-$Q$ ($>10^4$) nanophotonic cavity. We control the cavity-IX detuning using a magnetic field and measure their dipolar coupling strength to be $78 \pm 4\ \mathrm{μeV}$, fully consistent with the 82 $\mathrm{μeV}$ predicted by theory. The emission from the cavity mode shows clear threshold-like behavior as the transition is tuned into resonance with the cavity. We observe a superlinear power dependence accompanied by a narrowing of the linewidth as the distinct features of lasing. The onset and prominence of these threshold-like behaviors are pronounced at resonance while weak off-resonance. Our results show that a lasing transition can be induced in interacting moiré IXs with macroscopic coherence extending over the length scale of the cavity mode. Such systems raise interesting perspectives for low-power switching and synaptic nanophotonic devices using two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Exciton-phonon-scattering: A competition between bosonic and fermionic nature of bound electron-hole pairs

The question of macroscopic occupation and spontaneous emergence of coherence for exciton ensembles has gained renewed attention due to the rise of van der Waals heterostructures made of atomically thin semiconductors. The hosted interlayer excitons exhibit nanosecond lifetimes, long enough to allow for excitonic thermalization in time. Several experimental studies reported signatures of macroscopic occupation effects at elevated exciton densities. With respect to theory, excitons are composite particles formed by fermionic constituents, and a general theoretical argument for a bosonic thermalization of an exciton gas beyond the linear regime is still missing. Here, we derive an equation for the phonon mediated thermalization at densities above the classical limit, and identify which conditions favor the thermalization of fermionic or bosonic character, respectively. In cases where acoustic, quasielastic phonon scattering dominates the dynamics, our theory suggests that transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) excitons might be bosonic enough to show bosonic thermalization behaviour and decreasing dephasing for increasing exciton densities. This can be interpreted as a signature of an emerging coherence in the exciton ground state, and agrees well with the experimentally observed features, such as a decreasing linewidth for increasing densities.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Extended spatial coherence of interlayer excitons in MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterobilayers

We report on the spatial coherence of interlayer exciton ensembles as formed in MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterostructures and characterized by point-inversion Michelson-Morley interferometry. Below 10 K, the measured spatial coherence length of the interlayer excitons reaches values equivalent to the lateral expansion of the exciton ensembles. In this regime, the light emission of the excitons turns out to be homogeneously broadened in energy with a high temporal coherence. At higher temperatures, both the spatial coherence length and the temporal coherence time decrease, most likely because of thermal processes. The presented findings point towards a spatially extended, coherent many-body state of interlayer excitons at low temperature.

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