Continuous Mott transition in semiconductor moir\'e superlattices

Understand

The evolution of a Landau Fermi liquid into a nonmagnetic Mott insulator with increasing electronic interactions is one of the most puzzling quantum phase transitions in physics.

• The vicinity of the transition is believed to host exotic states of matter such as quantum spin liquids, exciton condensates and unconventional superconductivity.
• Semiconductor moir\'e materials realize a highly controllable Hubbard model simulator on a triangular lattice, providing a unique opportunity to drive a metal-insulator transition (MIT) via continuous tuning of the electronic interactions.
• Here, by electrically tuning the effective interaction strength in MoTe2/WSe2 moir\'e superlattices, we observe a continuous MIT at a fixed filling of one electron per unit cell.