Cryogenic nano-imaging of second-order moiré superlattices

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Auteurs principaux: Hesp, Niels C. H., Batlle-Porro, Sergi, Kumar, Roshan Krishna, Agarwal, Hitesh, Barcons-Ruiz, David, Sheinfux, Hanan Herzig, Watanabe, Kenji, Taniguchi, Takashi, Stepanov, Petr, Koppens, Frank H. L.
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Publié: 2023
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author Hesp, Niels C. H.
Batlle-Porro, Sergi
Kumar, Roshan Krishna
Agarwal, Hitesh
Barcons-Ruiz, David
Sheinfux, Hanan Herzig
Watanabe, Kenji
Taniguchi, Takashi
Stepanov, Petr
Koppens, Frank H. L.
author_facet Hesp, Niels C. H.
Batlle-Porro, Sergi
Kumar, Roshan Krishna
Agarwal, Hitesh
Barcons-Ruiz, David
Sheinfux, Hanan Herzig
Watanabe, Kenji
Taniguchi, Takashi
Stepanov, Petr
Koppens, Frank H. L.
contents Second-order superlattices form when moiré superlattices of similar periodicities interfere with each other, leading to even larger superlattice periodicities. These crystalline structures have been engineered utilizing two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) under specific alignment conditions. Such specific alignment has shown to play a crucial role in facilitating correlation-driven topological phases featuring the quantized anomalous Hall effect. While signatures of second-order superlattices have been identified in magnetotransport experiments, any real-space visualization is lacking to date. In this work, we present \NT{electronic transport measurements and cryogenic nanoscale photovoltage (PV) measurements} that reveal a second-order superlattice in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene closely aligned to hBN. This is evidenced by long-range periodic photovoltage modulations across the entire sample backed by the corresponding electronic transport features. Supported by theoretical calculations, our experimental data show that even minuscule strain and twist-angle variations on the order of 0.01$^\circ$ can lead to a drastic change of the second-order superlattice structure between local one-dimensional, square or triangular types. Our real-space observations therefore serve as a strong `magnifying glass' for strain and twist angle and can shed new light on the mechanisms responsible for the breaking of spatial symmetries in twisted bilayer graphene, and pave an avenue to engineer long-range superlattice structures in 2D materials using strain fields.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2302_05487
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Cryogenic nano-imaging of second-order moiré superlattices
Hesp, Niels C. H.
Batlle-Porro, Sergi
Kumar, Roshan Krishna
Agarwal, Hitesh
Barcons-Ruiz, David
Sheinfux, Hanan Herzig
Watanabe, Kenji
Taniguchi, Takashi
Stepanov, Petr
Koppens, Frank H. L.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Second-order superlattices form when moiré superlattices of similar periodicities interfere with each other, leading to even larger superlattice periodicities. These crystalline structures have been engineered utilizing two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) under specific alignment conditions. Such specific alignment has shown to play a crucial role in facilitating correlation-driven topological phases featuring the quantized anomalous Hall effect. While signatures of second-order superlattices have been identified in magnetotransport experiments, any real-space visualization is lacking to date. In this work, we present \NT{electronic transport measurements and cryogenic nanoscale photovoltage (PV) measurements} that reveal a second-order superlattice in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene closely aligned to hBN. This is evidenced by long-range periodic photovoltage modulations across the entire sample backed by the corresponding electronic transport features. Supported by theoretical calculations, our experimental data show that even minuscule strain and twist-angle variations on the order of 0.01$^\circ$ can lead to a drastic change of the second-order superlattice structure between local one-dimensional, square or triangular types. Our real-space observations therefore serve as a strong `magnifying glass' for strain and twist angle and can shed new light on the mechanisms responsible for the breaking of spatial symmetries in twisted bilayer graphene, and pave an avenue to engineer long-range superlattice structures in 2D materials using strain fields.
title Cryogenic nano-imaging of second-order moiré superlattices
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.05487