Bright and Dark Quadrupolar Excitons in the WSe2/MoSe2/WSe2 Heterotrilayer

Transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures have been extensively studied as a platform for investigating exciton physics. While heterobilayers such as WSe2/MoSe2 have received significant attention, there has been comparatively less research on heterotrilayers, which may offer new excitonic species and phases, as well as unique physical properties. In this Letter, we present theoretical and experimental investigations on the emission properties of quadrupolar excitons (QXs), a newly predicted type of exciton, in a WSe2/MoSe2/WSe2 heterotrilayer device. Our findings reveal that the optical brightness or darkness of QXs is determined by horizontal mirror symmetry and valley and spin selection rules. Additionally, the emission intensity and energy of both bright and dark QXs can be adjusted by applying an out-of-plane electric field, due to changes in hole distribution and the Stark effect. These results not only provide experimental evidence for the existence of QXs in heterotrilayers but also uncover their novel properties, which have the potential to drive the development of new exciton-based applications.