Expansion of a Valley-Polarized Exciton Cloud in a 2D Heterostructure

Abstract: Heterostructures comprising different monolayer semiconductors provide a new system for fundamental science and device technologies, such as in the emerging field of valleytronics. Here, we realize valley-specific interlayer excitons in monolayer WSe2-MoSe2 vertical heterostructures. We create interlayer exciton spin-valley polarization by circularly polarized optical pumping and determine a valley lifetime of 40 nanoseconds. This long-lived polarization enables the visualization of the expansion of a valley-polarized exciton cloud over several microns. The spatial pattern of the polarization evolves into a ring with increasing exciton density, a manifestation of valley exciton exchange interactions. Our work lays a foundation for quantum optoelectronics and valleytronics based on interlayer excitons in van der Waals heterostructures.