Imaging small angle twisted bilayer graphene aligned with hexagonal Boron Nitride

ORAL

Abstract

Magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) hosts low energy eight-fold degenerate flat bands, whose quenched kinetic energy facilitates interaction-driven instabilities as the Fermi energy is swept through the band. Breaking the sublattice symmetry of the MATBG by aligning its crystallographic axis with that of a hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) substrate creates a staggered potential which lifts the sublattice degeneracy and opens gaps that reveal sub-bands with non-trivial topology and orbital magnetism. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) on MATBG aligned with hBN, we observe a network of moiré solitons where the hBN and MATBG crystals are perfectly commensurate. STS maps of this system reveal a strong reconstructed local density of states within each moiré cell, which together with its magnetic field dependence sheds light on the nature of the broken symmetry phases in this system.

*Work supported by the US Department of Energy Division of basic energy sciences under DOE-FG02-99ER45742 and by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation under EPIQS GBMF9453

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Presenters

  • Xinyuan Lai

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick

Authors

  • Xinyuan Lai

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick

  • Nikhil Tilak

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick

  • Jinhai Mao

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick
    • School of physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Yuhang Jiang

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick

  • Kenji Watanabe

    • National Institute for Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Japan
    • National Institure for Materials Science
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science
    • NIMS
    • National Institute of Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science,1-1 Namiki
    • National Institute of Material Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, NIMS
    • National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • National Institude for Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials
    • NIMS - Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science ,Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Ibaraki, Japan
    • National Institute for Material Science
    • National Institute for Material Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute for Material Science Japan
    • NIMS Tsukuba
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Research Center for Functional Materials, Japan
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science: Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JP
    • National Institue for Material Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science,1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
    • Materials, NIMS
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, National In
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, Japan
    • International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science
    • International Center for Materials nanoarchtectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
    • NIMS Suguba
    • NIMS, Tsukuba, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Ibaraki, Japan
    • National institute of material science
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, NIMS
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Ibaraki, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Research Center for Functional Materials
    • National Institute of Material Science, Japan
    • Tsukuba, National Institute for Materials Science

  • Takashi Taniguchi

    • National Institute for Materials Science, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science
    • Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyoto University
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
    • International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • Materials, NIMS
    • International Center for Materials Anorthite, National Institute for Materials Science, Ibaraki, Japan
    • Kyoto University

  • Francisco Guinea

    • Imdea Nanoscience
    • Imdea Nanoscience, Donostia International Physics Center
    • IMDEA-Nanociencia
    • IMDEA Nanociencia
    • Donostia International Physics Center

  • Eva Andrei

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ