Population Metrology of a Hidden Exciton Reservoir: Quasi-Thermalization versus Localization
Long-lived dark states can dominate the lowest-energy manifold of optically driven quantum materials, yet their occupation remains difficult to quantify, leaving it unclear whether it reflects thermal redistribution or kinetic trapping. We combine microsphere-enabled far-field access with quantitative optical-response calibration to retrieve dark-to-bright population ratios in monolayer WSe2. Temperature-dependent measurements and controlled defect enhancement separate mobile and localized contributions. Near room temperature, the mobile dark-to-bright ratio reaches approximately 65% of its Boltzmann limit, indicating substantial but incomplete quasi-thermalization, whereas the low-temperature excess is dominated by defect-assisted localization. Dark-state dominance alone therefore does not establish equilibration, a distinction essential for interpreting transport and collective phases in optically hidden quasiparticle reservoirs.