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    Hidden valley dynamics behind vanishing circular polarization in moiré excitons

    Yuto Urano1,2, Lata Chouhan1, Nurul Fariha Ahmad1, Kenji Watanabe3, Takashi Taniguchi1, Daichi Kozawa1,4, and Ryo Kitaura1,2,*

    • *Contact author: KITAURA.Ryo@nims.go.jp

    Phys. Rev. B 114, 235417 – Published 27 October, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/jtzc-x4cq

    Abstract

    Optically addressable valley degrees of freedom in transition-metal dichalcogenide heterostructures provide a powerful platform for valleytronic and quantum-optical functionalities. In moiré superlattices, interlayer excitons inherit valley-contrasting optical selection rules while acquiring long lifetimes, electric dipoles, and site-dependent optical responses. However, because conventional measurements typically probe time-integrated valley polarization, the dynamical origin of vanishing polarization has remained elusive. Here, we show that a nearly zero steady-state valley polarization in electrically tunable moiré excitons does not necessarily indicate fast valley relaxation. Helicity-resolved time-resolved photoluminescence reveals a temporal crossing between σ+ and σ− emission, indicating that helicity-opposite dynamical components coexist and compensate after time integration. A minimal two-channel model, representing A-like and B-like moiré emission channels with opposite optical selection rules and distinct effective decay/depolarization rates, reproduces the observed helicity crossing without invoking a single rapid valley relaxation process. Furthermore, the crossing time evolves systematically with electrostatic tuning, demonstrating that the hidden valley dynamics are electrically controllable. These results show that time-integrated circular polarization can give a false-negative indication of valley polarization in multichannel valley emitters.

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