Tunable Moiré Superlattice of Artificially Twisted Monolayers

Adv Mater. 2019 Sep;31(37):e1901077. doi: 10.1002/adma.201901077. Epub 2019 Jul 24.

Abstract

Twisting between two stacked monolayers modulates periodic potentials and forms the Moiré electronic superlattices, which offers an additional degree of freedom to alter material property. Considerable unique observations, including unconventional superconductivity, coupled spin-valley states, and quantized interlayer excitons are correlated to the electronic superlattices but further study requires reliable routes to study the Moiré in real space. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is ideal to precisely probe the Moiré superlattice and correlate coupled parameters among local electronic structures, strains, defects, and band alignment at atomic scale. Here, a clean route is developed to construct twisted lattices using synthesized monolayers for fundamental studies. Diverse Moiré superlattices are predicted and successfully observed with STM at room temperature. Electrical tuning of the Moiré superlattice is achieved with stacked TMD on graphite.

Keywords: 2D materials; Moiré; heterostructures; monolayers; twisting.