Composite super-moire lattices in double-aligned graphene heterostructures

ZH Wang and YB Wang and J Yin and E Tovari and Y Yang and L Lin and M Holwill and J Birkbeck and DJ Perello and SG Xu and J Zultak and RV Gorbachev and AV Kretinin and T Taniguchi and K Watanabe and SV Morozov and M Andelkovic and SP Milovanovic and L Covaci and FM Peeters and A Mishchenko and AK Geim and KS Novoselov and VI Fal'ko and A Knothe and CR Woods, SCIENCE ADVANCES, 5, eaay8897 (2019).

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay8897

When two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals are brought into close proximity to form a van der Waals heterostructure, neighbouring crystals may influence each other's properties. Of particular interest is when the two crystals closely match and a moire pattern forms, resulting in modified electronic and excitonic spectra, crystal reconstruction, and more. Thus, moire patterns are a viable tool for controlling the properties of 2D materials. However, the difference in periodicity of the two crystals limits the reconstruction and, thus, is a barrier to the low-energy regime. Here, we present a route to spectrum reconstruction at all energies. By using graphene which is aligned to two hexagonal boron nitride layers, one can make electrons scatter in the differential moire pattern which results in spectral changes at arbitrarily low energies. Further, we demonstrate that the strength of this potential relies crucially on the atomic reconstruction of graphene within the differential moire super cell.

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