Staggered pseudo magnetic field in twisted transition metal dichalcogenides: Physical origin and experimental consequences

Abstract

In systems comprised of two layers of certain semiconductors stacked with a certain twist angle, the quantum mechanics of electron transfer between layers is believed to give rise to a ``staggered flux'' physics in which electrons move as though exposed to an extremely strong, but rapidly spatially varying, magnetic field. This staggered flux, heretofore thought of as a theoretical construct, is shown to give rise to dramatic, observable behavior, including ``Hofstadter butterfly'' structures in the electron spectrum, sign reversals in the Hall effect, and edge currents in systems with junctions or spatially varying interlayer potentials.