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Neural Network Discovers Paired Wigner Crystal in Artificial Graphene

Conor Smith, Yubo Yang, Zhou‐Quan Wan, Yixiao Chen, Miguel A. Morales, Shiwei Zhang

Published Apr 29, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Moiré systems have emerged as an exciting new tunable platform for engineering and probing quantum matter. A large number of exotic states have been observed, stimulating intense efforts in experiment, theory, and simulation. Utilizing a neural-network-based quantum Monte Carlo approach, we discover a new ground state of the two-dimensional electron gas in a honeycomb moiré potential at a filling factor of ν m = 1/4 (one electron every four moiré minima). In this state, two opposite-spin electrons pair to form singlet-like valence bond states which restore local C 6 symmetry in hexagonal molecules each spanning 6 moiré minima. These molecules of pairs then form a molecular Wigner crystal, leaving one quarter of the moiré minima mostly depleted. The formation of such a paired Wigner crystal, absent any confining potential or attractive interaction to facilitate "pre-assembling" the molecule, provides a fascinating case of collective phenomena in strongly interacting quantum many-body systems and opportunities to engineer exotic properties in a system within current experimental setups. This discovery signals a new level of predictive power in quantum many-body computations enabled by neural networks and machine learning.

DOI
10.21203/rs.3.rs-9316409/v1

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Abstract Moiré systems have emerged as an exciting new tunable platform for engineering and probing quantum matter. A large number of exotic states have been observed, stimulating intense efforts in experiment, theory, and simulation. Utilizing a neural-network-based quantum Monte Carlo approach, we discover a new ground state of the two-dimensional electron gas in a honeycomb moiré potential at a filling factor of ν m = 1/4 (one electron every four moiré minima). In this state, two opposite-spin electrons pair to form singlet-like valence bond states which restore local C 6 symmetry in hexagonal molecules each spanning 6 moiré minima. These molecules of pairs then form a molecular Wigner crystal, leaving one quarter of the moiré minima mostly depleted. The formation of such a paired Wigner crystal, absent any confining potential or attractive interaction to facilitate "pre-assembling" the molecule, provides a fascinating case of collective phenomena in strongly interacting quantum many-body systems and opportunities to engineer exotic properties in a system within current experimental setups. This discovery signals a new level of predictive power in quantum many-body computations enabled by neural networks and machine learning.
Moiré systems have emerged as an exciting tunable platform for engineering and probing quantum matter. A large number of exotic states have been observed, stimulating intense efforts in experiment, theory, and simulation. Utilizing a neural-network-based quantum Monte Carlo approach, we discover a new ground state of the two-dimensional electron gas in a honeycomb moire potential at a filling factor of νm=1/4ν_m =1/4νm​=1/4 (one electron every four moiré minima). In this state, two opposite-spin electrons pair to form a singlet-like valence bond state which restores local C6C_6C6​ symmetry in hexagonal molecules each spanning 666 moiré minima. These molecules of pairs then form a molecular Wigner crystal, leaving one quarter of the moiré minima mostly depleted. The formation of such a paired Wigner crystal, absent any confining potential or attractive interaction to facilitate "pre-assembling" the molecule, provides a fascinating case of collective phenomena in strongly interacting quantum many-body systems, and opportunities to engineer exotic properties.
Abstract Moiré superlattice designed in stacked van der Waals material provides a dynamic platform for hosting exotic and emergent condensed matter phenomena. However, the relevance of strong correlation effects and the large size of moiré unit cells pose significant challenges for traditional computational techniques. To overcome these challenges, we develop an unsupervised deep learning approach to uncover electronic phases emerging from moiré systems based on variational optimization of neural network many-body wavefunction. Our approach has identified diverse quantum states, including novel phases such as generalized Wigner crystals, Wigner molecular crystals, and previously unreported Wigner covalent crystals. These discoveries provide insights into recent experimental studies and suggest new phases for future exploration. They also highlight the crucial role of spin polarization in determining Wigner phases. More importantly, our proposed deep learning approach is proven general and efficient, offering a powerful framework for studying moiré physics.
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In this thesis we study the quantum many-body problem with tools from machine learning. In particular, we utilize Neural Quantum States (NQS) as an ansatz in Variational Monte Carlo (VMC) simulations. First, we develop a method to train NQS more reliably in an effort to reduce the total computational cost of finding the ground state of strongly-correlated systems. Then, we develop an expressive NQS ansatz to study two-dimensional materials and perform ab-initio phase discovery. In particular, we consider the two-dimensional electron gas, and provide state-of-the-art energies and characterization of the phase diagram. We also find evidence of a novel state between the Fermi liquid and Wigner crystal which we call a Nematic Spin Correlated Liquid (NSCL). Lastly, we turn our attention to a moir\'e system with a honeycomb potential. With minor modifications to the ansatz, we find a highly correlated state we call an interaction-driven molecular Wigner crystal. With the increasing interest in NQS as an accurate method to study the many-body problem and recent advances in experimentally studying two-dimensional materials, we expect the technical developments and physical results presented in this thesis to be valuable to theorists and experimentalists.
Moiré engineering in atomically thin van der Waals heterostructures creates artificial quantum materials with designer properties. We solve the many-body problem of interacting electrons confined to a moiré superlattice potential minimum (the moiré atom) using a 2D fermionic neural network. We show that strong Coulomb interactions in combination with the anisotropic moiré potential lead to striking ``Wigner molecule" charge density distributions observable with scanning tunneling microscopy.
The strongly correlated phases of the homogeneous electron gas constitute the vocabulary of many-body condensed matter physics and find a natural realization in semiconductors. In this setting, recent neural-network variational Monte Carlo calculations discovered an unexpected quantum phase of matter in wide quantum wells: an electronic quasicrystal formed by a bilayer Wigner crystals with a 30-degrees twist. This state defies classical expectations and emerges in a regime dominated by quantum fluctuations. Here, we develop an analytical framework to reveal its origin. By computing zero-point energy corrections to bilayer Wigner crystal configurations, we show that quantum fluctuations qualitatively reshape the energetic landscape, destabilizing the classical honeycomb state and selecting the 30-degrees quasicrystalline ground state over a broad parameter range. Our results identify zero-point motion as the mechanism stabilizing the electronic quasicrystal and establish a route to spontaneous moiré physics driven by many-body quantum effects.