Electron-Hole Liquid in Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures

Abstract

Monolayer films of transition metal dichalcogenides (in particular, MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2) can be considered as ideal systems for the studies of high-temperature electron-hole liquids. The quasi-two-dimensional nature of electrons and holes ensures their stronger interaction as compared to that in bulk semiconductors. The screening of the Coulomb interaction in monolayer heterostructures is significantly reduced, since it is determined by the permittivities of the environment (e.g., vacuum and substrate), which are much lower than those characteristic of the films of transition metal dichalcogenides. The multivalley structure of the energy spectrum of charge carriers in transition metal dichalcogenides significantly reduces the kinetic energy, resulting in the increase in the equilibrium density and binding energy of the electron-hole liquid. The binding energy of the electron-hole liquid and its equilibrium density are determined. It is shown that the two-dimensional Coulomb potential should be used in the calculations for the electron-hole liquid.