New Generation of Moiré Superlattices in Doubly Aligned hBN/Graphene/hBN Heterostructures

Nano Lett. 2019 Apr 10;19(4):2371-2376. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b05061. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Abstract

The specific rotational alignment of two-dimensional lattices results in a moiré superlattice with a larger period than the original lattices and allows one to engineer the electronic band structure of such materials. So far, transport signatures of such superlattices have been reported for graphene/hBN and graphene/graphene systems. Here we report moiré superlattices in fully hBN encapsulated graphene with both the top and the bottom hBN aligned to the graphene. In the graphene, two different moiré superlattices form with the top and the bottom hBN, respectively. The overlay of the two superlattices can result in a third superlattice with a period larger than the maximum period (14 nm) in the graphene/hBN system, which we explain in a simple model. This new type of band structure engineering allows one to artificially create an even wider spectrum of electronic properties in two-dimensional materials.

Keywords: hBN encapsulated graphene; moiré superlattice; superlattice Dirac point; three-layer moiré pattern; twistronics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't