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CONDENSED-MATTER PHYSICS

Quasi-two-dimensional electron–hole droplets

Nature Photonics volume 13, pages 225–226 (2019)Cite this article

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The observation of a room-temperature stable liquid phase of electrons and holes in a quasi-two-dimensional photocell paves the way towards optoelectronic devices that harness collective phenomena.

Reporting in Nature Photonics, Trevor Arp and colleagues provide compelling evidence that micrometre-sized EHL droplets form at room temperature within quasi-2D photocells made from a few-layer TMD film sandwiched between two ultrathin graphite electrodes6 (Fig. 1b). In contrast to previous studies based on optical spectroscopy measurements, the authors employed scanning photocurrent microscopy under intense femtosecond laser excitation to reveal the EHL phase. These measurements make it possible to visualize the EHL droplet and to estimate its binding energy and relaxation time.

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Fig. 1: Excitons, electrons and holes in a quasi-2D photocell.
Fig. 2: Visualizing an electron–hole droplet.

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  1. Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPCMS, UMR 7504, Strasbourg, France

    Stéphane Berciaud

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  1. Stéphane Berciaud
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Correspondence to Stéphane Berciaud.

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Berciaud, S. Quasi-two-dimensional electron–hole droplets. Nat. Photonics 13, 225–226 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-019-0400-z

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