Moiré patterns and twistronics | Quantum Transport | Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Moiré patterns

Moiré patterns are long wavelength interference patterns that emerge naturally in 2D systems when there is a small lattice mismatch or misorientation between layers. The image to the left shows the moiré pattern formed between two hexagonal lattices (both are the same size) when the layers are twisted relative to one another. These moiré patterns give rise to long-range interactions between electrons which can result in a variety of interesting correlated phenomena such as superconductivity in so-called “magic angle” twisted bilayer graphene. Moiré patterns radically alter the relevant structure of the material and can manifest in a wide array of 2D systems like twisted homo-bilayers, hetero-bilayers of semiconductors, or graphene aligned to hexagonal boron nitride, all with their own interesting physics and application potentials.