Arise of the gapless quantum spin liquid in moiré transition metal dichalcogenide due to ring exchange interaction

Arise of the gapless quantum spin liquid in moiré transition metal dichalcogenide due to ring exchange interaction | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Arise of the gapless quantum spin liquid in moiré transition metal dichalcogenide due to ring exchange interaction Weronika Pasek, Michał Kupczyński This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6869593/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract We study the ground-state properties of twisted transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) hetero-bilayers using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations of an effective spin model with four-spin ring exchange interactions. Our results demonstrate a gapless quantum spin liquid (QSL) phase, stabilized by the ring exchange term, and a competing valence bond solid (VBS) phase. The QSL exhibits power-law spin correlations and a central charge consistent with multiple gapless modes. Tuning the dielectric constant drives a continuous transition between these phases. Our results emphasize the role of ring exchange interactions in moiré TMDs and demonstrate their potential as quantum simulators. Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed matter physics/Semiconductors/Two dimensional materials Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed matter physics/Phase transitions and critical phenomena Physical sciences/Physics/Quantum physics/Quantum simulation Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 02 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 22 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 15 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 09 Oct, 2025 Editor invited by journal 23 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 17 Jun, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 16 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 11 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6869593","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":533640811,"identity":"7bae5a5a-be39-4285-9d18-5d094a6babbf","order_by":0,"name":"Weronika 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