Observation of Quantized Exciton Energies in Monolayer WSe2 under a Strong Magnetic Field

Abstract

Quantized energy levels are one of the hallmarks of quantum mechanics at the atomic level. The manifestation of quantization in macroscopic physical systems has showcased important quantum phenomena, such as quantized conductance in (fractional) quantum Hall effects and quantized vortices in superconductors. Here we report the first experimental observation of quantized exciton energies in a macroscopic system with strong Coulomb interaction, monolayer WSe2 crystal under a strong magnetic field. Employing helicity-resolved magnetoreflectance spectroscopy, we observe a striking ladder of plateaus as a function of the gate voltage for both exciton resonance in one valley and exciton-polariton branch in the opposite valley, thanks to the inter-Landau levels transitions governed by unique valley-selective selection rules. The observed quantized excitation energy level spacing sensitively depends on the doping level, indicating strong many-body effects. Our work will inspire the study of intriguing quantum phenomena originating from the interplay between Landau levels and many-body interactions in two-dimension monolayer crystals.