Tuning commensurability in twisted van der Waals bilayers.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38233619.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41586-023-06904-w.
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Abstract
Moiré superlattices based on van der Waals bilayers<sup>1-4</sup> created at small twist angles lead to a long wavelength pattern with approximate translational symmetry. At large twist angles (θ<sub>t</sub>), moiré patterns are, in general, incommensurate except for a few discrete angles. Here we show that large-angle twisted bilayers offer distinctly different platforms. More specifically, by using twisted tungsten diselenide bilayers, we create the incommensurate dodecagon quasicrystals at θ<sub>t</sub> = 30° and the commensurate moiré crystals at θ<sub>t</sub> = 21.8° and 38.2°. Valley-resolved scanning tunnelling spectroscopy shows disparate behaviours between moiré crystals (with translational symmetry) and quasicrystals (with broken translational symmetry). In particular, the K valley shows rich electronic structures exemplified by the formation of mini-gaps near the valence band maximum. These discoveries demonstrate that bilayers with large twist angles offer a design platform to explore moiré physics beyond those formed with small twist angles.