Controlling charge density in two-dimensional (2D) materials is a powerful approach for engineering new electronic phases and properties. Such control is traditionally realized by electrostatic gating. Here, we report an optical approach for generation of high carrier densities utilizing transition metal dichalcogenide hetero-bilayers, WSe2/MoSe2, with type-II band alignment. By tuning the optical excitation density above the Mott threshold, we realize the phase transition from interlayer excitons to charge-separated electron/hole plasmas, where photoexcited electrons and holes are localized to individual layers. Remarkably, high carrier densities up to 4x1014 cm-2 can be sustained under both pulsed and continuous wave excitation conditions. These findings open the door to optical control of electronic phases in 2D hetero-bilayers.

Mott transition of interlayer excitons at 2D van der Waals heterojunctions

2019 Fall National Meeting

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