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Manipulating Charge Distribution in Moiré Superlattices by Light

Ruiping Guo1,2, Haowei Chen1,3,4, Wenhui Duan1,2,5,*, Yong Xu1,5,†, and Chong Wang1,5,‡

  • *Contact author: duanw@tsinghua.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: yongxu@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: chongwang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 086903 – Published 26 February, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/h2k9-7v61

Abstract

In ordinary solids, nonlinear optical responses are typically studied in terms of unit-cell averages due to the ångström-scale lattice constants. In contrast, moiré superlattices, characterized by a large length scale, unlock an often-overlooked degree of freedom: intrasupercell spatial variations of local observables. Here, we formulate the second-order direct current (dc) charge response in a spatially resolved manner, showing that even uniform optical illumination can drive a static, spatially nonuniform charge redistribution within a supercell. This effect is ubiquitous and cannot be forbidden by any crystalline symmetries. Furthermore, we identify a dominant contribution arising from diverging analytical response coefficients, which leads to linear-in-time growth of the redistribution in the absence of relaxation. This growth is driven by the convergence or divergence of local dc photocurrents. Applying our theory to twisted bilayer MoTe2, we demonstrate strong, highly tunable charge modulation controlled by light intensity and frequency, opening a route to in situ, all-optical control of moiré-periodic electrostatic potentials. Our Letter underscores the importance of intracell degrees of freedom, which enable a qualitatively richer class of nonlinear optical responses in moiré superlattices.

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