Viscous hydrodynamics of excitons in van der Waals heterostructures

Abstract

Excitons in semiconductors can form a variety of collective states leading to different regimes of exciton propagation. Here we theoretically demonstrate the possibility to reach the viscous hydrodynamic -- liquid-like -- regime of exciton propagation in two-dimensional materials, focusing on the mono- and bi-layers of transition metal dichalcogenides. This regime can be realized where the exciton-exciton collisions dominate over exciton-phonon and disorder scattering. We have derived the hydrodynamic-like set of equations describing viscous flow of interacting excitons based on the Boltzmann kinetic equation for the exciton distribution function. A comparison of various exciton propagation regimes including diffusive, viscous hydrodynamic, and superfluid regime is presented. Conditions which allow one to observe the hydrodynamic regime of exciton transport, and the role of material are discussed.