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Recent experiments have produced evidence for fractional quantum anomalous Hall (FQAH) states at zero magnetic field in the semiconductor moir\'e superlattice system $t$MoTe$_2$. Here we argue that a composite fermion description, already a unifying framework for the phenomenology of 2d electron gases at high magnetic fields, provides a similarly powerful perspective in this new context, despite the absence of a magnetic field. To this end, we present exact diagonalization evidence for composite Fermi liquid states at zero magnetic field in $t$MoTe$_2$, at fillings $n=\frac{1}{2}$ and $n=\frac{3}{4}$. We dub these non-Fermi liquid metals anomalous composite Fermi liquids (ACFLs), and we argue that they play a central organizing role in the FQAH phase diagram. We proceed to develop a long wavelength theory for this ACFL state, which offers concrete experimental predictions upon doping the composite Fermi sea, including a Jain sequence of FQAH states and a new type of commensurability oscillations originating from the superlattice potential intrinsic to the system., Comment: 11 pages, including 3 sections of Supplemental Material and 6 figures

Moir\'e 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 moir\'e superlattice potential minimum (the moir\'e atom) using a 2D fermionic neural network. We show that strong Coulomb interactions in combination with the anisotropic moir\'e potential lead to striking ``Wigner molecule" charge density distributions observable with scanning tunneling microscopy.

Semiconductor moir\'e superlattices comprise an array of artificial atoms and provide a highly tunable platform for exploring novel electronic phases. We introduce a theoretical framework for studying moir\'e quantum matter that treats intra-moir\'e-atom interactions exactly and is controlled in the limit of large moir\'e period. We reveal an abundance of new physics arising from strong electron interactions when there are multiple electrons within a moir\'e unit cell. In particular, at filling factor $n=3$, the Coulomb interaction within each three-electron moir\'e atom leads to a three-lobed "Wigner molecule". When their size is comparable to the moir\'e period, the Wigner molecules form an emergent Kagome lattice. Our work identifies two universal length scales characterizing the kinetic and interaction energies in moir\'e materials and demonstrates a rich phase diagram due to their interplay., Comment: main 4 pages, 4 figures; supplement 11 pages, 3 figures. changes in v2: additional references and supplementary material added, minor changes to main text

Semiconductor moiré superlattices comprise an array of artificial atoms and provide a highly tunable platform for exploring novel electronic phases. We introduce a theoretical framework for studying moiré quantum matter that treats intra-moiré-atom interactions exactly and is controlled in the limit of large moiré period. We reveal an abundance of new physics arising from strong electron interactions when there are multiple electrons within a moiré unit cell. In particular, at filling factor $n=3$, the Coulomb interaction within each three-electron moiré atom leads to a three-lobed "Wigner molecule". When their size is comparable to the moiré period, the Wigner molecules form an emergent Kagome lattice. Our work identifies two universal length scales characterizing the kinetic and interaction energies in moiré materials and demonstrates a rich phase diagram due to their interplay., main 4 pages, 4 figures; supplement 11 pages, 3 figures. changes in v2: additional references and supplementary material added, minor changes to main text

Semiconductor moir\'e superlattices have been shown to host a wide array of interaction-driven ground states. However, twisted homobilayers have been difficult to study in the limit of large moir\'e wavelength, where interactions are most dominant, and despite numerous predictions of nontrivial topology in these homobilayers, experimental evidence has remained elusive. Here, we conduct local electronic compressibility measurements of twisted bilayer WSe$_2$ at small twist angles. We demonstrate multiple topological bands which host a series of Chern insulators at zero magnetic field near a 'magic angle' around $1.23^\circ$. Using a locally applied electric field, we induce a topological quantum phase transition at one hole per moir\'e unit cell. Furthermore, by measuring at a variety of local twist angles, we characterize how the interacting ground states of the underlying honeycomb superlattice depend on the size of the moir\'e unit cell. Our work establishes the topological phase diagram of a generalized Kane-Mele-Hubbard model in tWSe$_2$, demonstrating a tunable platform for strongly correlated topological phases.

We demonstrate via exact diagonalization that AA-stacked TMD homobilayers host fractional quantum anomalous Hall (FQAH) states that exhibit fractionally quantized Hall conductance at zero magnetic field at fractional fillings $n=\frac{1}{3},\, \frac{2}{3}$. While both states are most robust at angles near $\theta\approx 2^{\circ}$, the $n=\frac{1}{3}$ state gives way to a charge density wave with increasing twist angle whereas the $n=\frac{2}{3}$ state survives across a much broader range of twist angles. We show that the competition between FQAH states and charge density wave or metallic phases is primarily controlled by the wavefunctions and dispersion of the underlying Chern band, respectively. Additionally, Ising ferromagnetism is found across a broad range of fillings where the system is insulating or metallic alike. The spin gap is enhanced at filling fractions where integer and fractional quantum anomalous Hall states are formed., Comment: discussion expanded, additional numerical results added

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 emergence of moir\'e materials with flat bands provides a platform to systematically investigate and precisely control correlated electronic phases. Here, we report local electronic compressibility measurements of a twisted WSe$_2$/MoSe$_2$ heterobilayer which reveal a rich phase diagram of interpenetrating Hofstadter states and electron solids. We show that this reflects the presence of both flat and dispersive moir\'e bands whose relative energies, and therefore occupations, are tuned by density and magnetic field. At low densities, competition between moir\'e bands leads to a transition from commensurate arrangements of singlets at doubly occupied sites to triplet configurations at high fields. Hofstadter states (i.e., Chern insulators) are generally favored at high densities as dispersive bands are populated, but are suppressed by an intervening region of reentrant charge-ordered states in which holes originating from multiple bands cooperatively crystallize. Our results reveal the key microscopic ingredients that favor distinct correlated ground states in semiconductor moir\'e systems, and they demonstrate an emergent lattice model system in which both interactions and band dispersion can be experimentally controlled.

The emergence of moiré materials with flat bands provides a platform to systematically investigate and precisely control correlated electronic phases. Here, we report local electronic compressibility measurements of a twisted WSe$_2$/MoSe$_2$ heterobilayer which reveal a rich phase diagram of interpenetrating Hofstadter states and electron solids. We show that this reflects the presence of both flat and dispersive moiré bands whose relative energies, and therefore occupations, are tuned by density and magnetic field. At low densities, competition between moiré bands leads to a transition from commensurate arrangements of singlets at doubly occupied sites to triplet configurations at high fields. Hofstadter states (i.e., Chern insulators) are generally favored at high densities as dispersive bands are populated, but are suppressed by an intervening region of reentrant charge-ordered states in which holes originating from multiple bands cooperatively crystallize. Our results reveal the key microscopic ingredients that favor distinct correlated ground states in semiconductor moiré systems, and they demonstrate an emergent lattice model system in which both interactions and band dispersion can be experimentally controlled.