Lithography-Defined Semiconductor Moirés with Anomalous In-Gap Quantum Hall States.

Pan, Wei; Burckel, D Bruce; Spataru, Catalin D; Sapkota, Keshab R; Muhowski, Aaron J; Hawkins, Samuel D; Klem, John F; Smith, Layla S et al. · Nano Lett · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Quantum materials and phenomena have attracted great interest for their potential applications in next-generation microelectronics and quantum-information technologies. In one especially interesting class of quantum materials, moiré superlattices (MSLs) formed by twisted bilayers of 2D materials, a wide range of novel phenomena are observed. However, there exist daunting challenges such as reproducibility and scalability of utilizing 2D MSLs for microelectronics and quantum technologies due to their exfoliate-tear-stack method. Here, we propose lithography-defined semiconductor MSLs, in which three fundamental parameters─electron-electron interaction, spin-orbit coupling, and band topology─are designable. We experimentally investigate quantum-transport properties in a moiré specimen made in an InAs quantum well. Strong anomalous in-gap states are observed within the same integer quantum Hall state. Our work opens up new horizons for studying 2D quantum-materials phenomena in semiconductors featuring superior industry-level quality and state-of-the-art technologies, and they may potentially enable new quantum-information and microelectronics technologies.