Critical angles and one-dimensional moiré physics in twisted rectangular lattices

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

Engineering moiré superlattices in van der Waals heterostructures provides fundamental control over emergent electronic, structural, and optical properties allowing to affect topological and correlated phenomena. This control is achieved through imposed periodic modulation of potentials and targeted modifications of symmetries. For twisted bilayers of van der Waals materials with rectangular lattices, such as PdSe2, this work shows that one-dimensional (1D) moiré patterns emerge universally. This emergence is driven by a series of critical twist angles (CAs). We investigate the geometric origins of these unique 1D moiré patterns and develop a universal mathematical framework to predict the CAs in twisted rectangular lattices. Through a density functional theory (DFT) description of the electronic properties of twisted bilayer PdSe2, we further reveal directionally localized flat band structures, localized charge densities and strong spin-orbit coupling along the dispersive direction which points to the emergence of an effectively 1D strongly spin-orbit coupled electronic systems. This establishes twisted rectangular systems as a unique platform for engineering low-symmetry moiré patterns, low-dimensional strongly correlated and topological physics, and spatially selective quantum phases beyond the isotropic paradigms of hexagonal moiré materials.

Authors 8

1. Dongdong An

   National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures

   Affiliation as printed

   National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures ,

2. Tao Zhang
3. Qiaoling Xu

   Sichuan Normal University

   Affiliation as printed

   College of Physics and Electronic Engineering , Center for Computational Sciences , Sichuan Normal University , Chengdu 610068 , China

   Tsientang Institute for Advanced Study , Zhejiang 310024 , China

4. Hailing Guo

   University of Cambridge

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Engineering , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1PZ , United Kingdom

   Tsientang Institute for Advanced Study , Zhejiang 310024 , China

5. Majeed Ur Rehman

   Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory

   Affiliation as printed

   Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory , 523808 Dongguan , Guangdong , China

   Tsientang Institute for Advanced Study , Zhejiang 310024 , China

6. Dante Marvin Kennes Aachen Institut für Theorie der Statistischen Physik

   Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Theorie der Statistischen Physik , RWTH Aachen University and JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technology , 52056 Aachen , Germany

   Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter , Luruper Chaussee 149 , 22761 Hamburg , Germany

7. Ángel Rubio

   Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures · Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter · Nanjing University

   Affiliation as printed

   Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures , School of Physics , Nanjing University , Nanjing , China

   Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter , Luruper Chaussee 149 , 22761 Hamburg , Germany

8. Lede Xian