Nicolás Morales Duran, The University of Texas at Austin

"Fractional Chern Insulators in moiré TMDs"

Abstract: Recent experiments on moiré TMD homobilayers (tMoTe2) have observed fractional Chern insulator (FCI) states for the first time. These are exotic states of matter that display the fractional quantum Hall effect at zero magnetic field, with interesting properties such as fractional and non-abelian excitations. However, there are a number of open questions that arise from these seminal experiments. Theoretical approaches to this problem are based on continuum model descriptions and are crucial for understanding current experiments and making predictions for future studies. In this talk I will introduce an approximation to the continuum model for moiré homobilayers that maps it to an effective Landau level problem and is valid for an intermediate range of twist angles, where FCIs have been observed. Our approach explains the emergence of magic angles and ideal quantum geometry in the system, also providing a powerful starting point for the study of correlated phases in moiré TMD homobilayers. Finally, I will discuss a couple of directions that our group plans to follow towards making further progress in the field of fractional quantum anomalous Hell effects.