Strain Correlated Linearly Polarized Photoluminescence in WSe2/WS2 Moiré Superlattices

Abstract

Reliable optical control of valley degrees of freedom in moiré excitons requires that the emitted polarization faithfully reflects the underlying valley state. Here, we show that linearly polarized photoluminescence from WSe2/WS2 moiré excitons is largely insensitive to the excitation linear polarization and therefore does not arise from valley coherence. Automated polarization-resolved photoluminescence and Raman mapping at cryogenic temperature reveal that the degree of linear polarization correlates strongly with local Raman shifts and moiré-exciton observables, identifying strain as the dominant experimental correlate. Linear-regression analysis further shows that strain-related descriptors provide the best prediction of the observed polarization. Guided by theory, we attribute this behavior to strain-amplified breaking of C3 symmetry in the moiré potential: weak uniaxial strain produces only partial cancellation of locally elliptical emission, yielding a finite far-field degree of linear polarization. These results establish strain as a key control parameter for reliable optical readout in TMD moiré superlattices.