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Strain and twist angle driven electronic structure evolution in twisted bilayer graphene

delete2026-04-01
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PRE
AI
J
Jiawei Yu
G
Guihao Jia
李芊 cover
李芊 (Qian Li)
Z
Zhen Zhan
Y
Yuyang Wang
K
Kebin Xiao
Y
Yongkang Ju
H
Hong‐Yun Zhang
Z
Zhiqiang Hu
Y
Yunkai Guo
B
Biao Lian
汤沛哲 (Peizhe Tang)
P
Pierre A. Pantaleón *
S
Shuyun Zhou
F
F. Guinea
Q
Qi-Kun Xue *
李伟 cover
李伟 (Wei Li) *
DOI:10.1088/1361-6633/ae544fdelete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
In twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) devices, local strain frequently coexists with the twist-angle-dependent moiré superlattice and strongly influences the electronic properties, yet their combined effects remain incompletely understood. Here, using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, we study a TBG device exhibiting both a continuous twist-angle gradient from 0.35° to 1.30° and spatially varying strain fields, spanning the first (1.1°), second (0.5°), and third (0.3°) magic angles. We directly visualize the evolution of flat and remote bands in both energy and real space with atomic resolution. By comparing regions dominated by shear, uniaxial, and mixed strain, we find that shear strain plays a decisive role in controlling flat-band separation, linewidth, and spectral-weight redistribution. Near the first magic angle, this manifests as an anomalous transfer of spectral weight between the two flat-band peaks, accompanied by an unusual spatial dispersion of flat-band states within a moiré unit cell. In contrast, the energy of the remote bands provides a robust, strain-insensitive indicator of the local twist angle. Structural analysis reveals that shear strain dominates over large regions of the sample, consistent with its lower elastic energy cost. All observations are quantitatively reproduced by a continuum model incorporating heterostrain and electron–electron interactions, establishing shear strain as a central ingredient in shaping the low-energy electronic landscape of TBG.
Keywords:
twisted bilayer graphene
strain effects
moiré superlattice
flat bands
magic angles

Journal

Reports on Progress in Physics cover
Reports on Progress in Physics
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20.7
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1.6K
Citations:
2.4W

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I
imdea nanoscience
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T
tsinghua university
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beihang university
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princeton university
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