Local Thermodynamic Measurements of Semiconductor Moiré Systems

Semiconductor moiré superlattices provide an ideal platform to study strongly correlated quantum phases due to their high degree of tunability and the diverse array of interaction-driven ground states they host. In this talk, I will discuss single-electron transistor (sSET) microscopy to analyze local properties of correlated states in semiconductor moiré systems. The sSET allows for highly sensitive measurements of local compressibility and chemical potential providing insights into delicate interaction-driven incompressible (insulating) phases and their transitions. I will describe measurements of a twisted WSe₂/MoSe₂ heterobilayer, where the coexistence of flat and dispersive moiré bands leads to intricate competition between Hofstadter and unconventional charge-ordered states. I will then discuss how these charge-ordered states form spatial domains and how these domains respond to twist angle disorder and both intrinsic and extrinsic potentials at mesoscopic scales. This work highlights through local high resolution thermodynamic measurements the complex interplay between competing solid and liquid electronic phases in moiré superlattices.