Recent Advances in Twisted Structures of Flatland Materials and Crafting Moiré Superlattices

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 30; no. 36
• Main Authors: Abbas, Ghulam, Li, Yu, Wang, Huide, Zhang, Wen‐Xing, Wang, Cong, Zhang, Han
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2020
• Subjects: 2D materials; Allotropy; Antimony; Bilayers; Bismuth; Boron nitride; Electronic structure; Excitons; Graphene; Heterojunctions; Heterostructures; interlayer twists; Interlayers; Materials science; moiré patterns; Molybdenum disulfide; Phosphorene; Physical properties; Playgrounds; Pyrolytic graphite; Quantum phenomena; Silicene; Superconductivity; Superlattices; Transition metal compounds; Two dimensional materials
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202000878

The past decade has witnessed the occurrence of novel 2D moiré patterns in nanoflatland materials. These visually beautiful moiré superlattices have become a playground on which exotic quantum phenomena can be observed. The state‐of‐the‐art experimental techniques that have been developed for crafting moiré superlattices of flatland materials are reviewed. Graphene and its heterostructure with boron nitride have now sparked new interlayer twists as a new degree of freedom for tuning several angle‐dependent physical properties, e.g., the appearance of van Hove singularities, tunable Mott insulator states, and the Hofstadter butterfly pattern. Moreover, the interplay of correlated insulating states and superconductivity is recently observed for a so‐called magic‐angle twisted bilayer graphene. Furthermore, beyond graphene, other 2D materials, such as silicene, phosphorene, and the recent black phosphorus /MoS2 heterojunctions, which are 2D allotropes of bismuth and antimony grown on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite and MoS2, are considered. Finally, the optically important exciton phenomenon, which depends on the moiré potential and has been observed for a moiré superlattice of transition metal dichalcogenides, is discussed. This overview aims to cover all the fascinating prospects that depend on the moiré superlattice, ranging from electronic structure to optical exotics among flatland materials. Moiré patterns are produced under twisted flatland materials with a fascinating quantum phenomenon. State‐of‐the‐art experimental techniques developed for crafting moiré superlattices are reviewed. In particular, special attention is paid to several twist angle‐dependent electronic properties that include appearance of van Hove singularities, tunable Mott insulator states, the Hofstadter butterfly pattern, correlated insulating states, superconductivity and moiré excitones observed for moiré heterostructures.