Dynamical Control of Coulomb Interactions and Hubbard Bands in Monolayer 1T-TaS<sub>2</sub>.

Notter, Niklas; Aichhorn, Markus; Galler, Anna · Nano Lett · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Monolayer 1T-TaS<sub>2</sub> hosts a star-of-David charge-density wave (CDW) that stabilizes a low-temperature Mott-insulating state. Recent time-resolved spectroscopies indicate a coupling between the CDW amplitude mode and the electronic correlation strength, yet the role of the screened Coulomb interaction remains unclear. Using the constrained random-phase approximation, we show that the CDW amplitude modifies the bare and screened on-site interactions, leading to sizable variations in the effective Hubbard <i>U</i>. Our combined density-functional and dynamical mean-field theory calculations reveal that the Hubbard bands shift in concert with the CDW amplitude and that a reduced distortion drives a transition from a Mott insulator to a correlated metal. These results demonstrate a direct link between lattice distortions and Coulomb interactions in transition-metal dichalcogenides, providing a microscopic mechanism for light-induced control of correlated phases in two-dimensional quantum materials.