Quantum mechanics

Quantum phases

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Physics

Kondo effect

Condensed matter physics

Quantum

Quantum Hall effect

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Quantum phase transition

Quantum critical point

Physical review. B./Physical review. B

The authors propose a transition metal dichalcogenide moir\'e heterostructure that realizes a Kondo lattice and is capable of tuning across a quantum phase transition corresponding to the breakdown of Kondo screening. For a dual-gated setup, they theoretically identify the requisite gating conditions and find a quantum critical scenario where the local moments in a chiral spin-liquid state dissolve in the conduction electron Fermi sea to form an anomalous Hall heavy-fermion liquid. They discuss how the proposed gate-tunable Kondo lattice simulator can experimentally distinguish between various competing scenarios for the quantum phase transition, and thereby enable progress in the understanding of heavy-fermion quantum criticality.

Gate-tunable heavy fermion quantum criticality in a moiré Kondo lattice