- Open Access
Pseudogap with Fermi Arcs and Fermi Pockets in Half-Filled Twisted Transition Metal Dichalcogenides
Phys. Rev. X 16, 011005 – Published 6 January, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kmn8-y59j
Abstract
Twisted transition metal dichalcogenides are a new platform for realizing strongly correlated physics with high tunability. Recent transport experiments [A. Ghiotto et al., Nature (London) 597, 345 (2021)] have reported the bandwidth-driven evolution of a Mott insulator to a strange metal behavior via the tuning of a displacement field in twisted () fixed at half filling. However, the nature of the correlated states and the related Mott physics involved in the whole process remain to be determined. Here, we unveil theoretically the evolution of the ground state of the half-filled moiré Hubbard model as applied to , transiting from a pseudogap state with Fermi arcs to a 120° Néel ordered Mott insulator, then to another pseudogap state with Fermi pockets, and eventually to a Fermi liquid via a Lifshitz transition. The pseudogap phases are definitely identified by the vanishing of quasiparticle weights over parts of the Fermi surface, with the remaining parts forming disconnected Fermi arcs or pockets with well-defined quasiparticles. We demonstrate that the Fermi arc or pocket results from the electronic band structure reconstruction driven by electron correlations, marked by the coexistence of the poles and zeros of the single-particle Green’s function. We ascribe the ground state of the strange metal featured by the linear- resistivity observed experimentally in to the second pseudogap state by further calculating the temperature dependence of resistivity. This work reveals the fundamental aspects of the Mottness in moiré system and will stimulate the direct probes of the underlying physics beyond transports via the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Popular Summary
Understanding the universal principles of Mottness—how strong electronic correlations drive exotic phases like pseudogaps and strange metals—remains a fundamental challenge in condensed matter physics. The difficulty to continuously adjust the Mott insulator–metal transition in conventional quantum materials impedes the related explorations. Recently, the moiré system with flat bands has emerged as a highly tunable platform to realize strongly correlated physics.
In this work, we unveil theoretically the evolution of the ground state of the half-filled moiré Hubbard model as applied to twisted bilayer tungsten diselenide by tuning the electron bandwidth with an electric displacement field at half filling. Our work reveals that strong correlations reconstruct the electronic structure, leading to a striking sequence of phases: a pseudogap where the Fermi surface fractures into arcs, a Mott insulator, a second pseudogap with isolated Fermi pockets, and finally a conventional Fermi liquid. Crucially, we identify the experimentally observed strange metal behavior, where electrical resistance rises linearly with temperature, as originating from this second pseudogap phase.
Our work clarifies the nature of Mottness in moiré materials and sets the stage for direct experimental imaging of these exotic states using advanced microscopy techniques.
Article Text
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