In the new method, two boron nitride (n-BN) layers twisted with respect to each other create an electric field in a molybdenum diselenide semiconductor (MoSe2). A light beam (red) is used to study the properties of the electrons in the semiconductor. Credit: ETH Zurich

Harnessing Coulomb Interactions in Nanoscale Ferroelectric Moiré Structures

Researchers created a nanoscale ferroelectric moiré pattern using hexagonal boron nitride layers to generate a purely electrostatic potential that enhances Coulomb interactions in transition metal dichalcogenides, enabling optical detection of electron correlations and ordered states while opening pathways to explore exotic quantum phenomena like chiral layer-pseudospin liquids and kinetic magnetism.