Work

Hierarchical Relaxation in Large-twist-angle Moire Drives Supermoire Formation

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Supermoire lattices in large-angle twisted bilayers have recently been shown to emerge from periodic arrangements of commensurate stacking motifs, yet the microscopic structural mechanism governing their formation has remained unresolved. Here, we uncover the microscopic origin of supermoire order as a hierarchical lattice relaxation process. Combining force-field simulations with experimental validation via super-resolution, layer-resolved multislice electron ptychography, our results identify interlayer Se-Se repulsion at the picometer scale as the driving force, giving rise to coupled short-range (about 1 nm) moire relaxation and coexisting long-range (about 10 nm) supermoire modulation. These findings demonstrate that even picometer-scale lattice relaxation remains critical in large-angle moire systems and must be explicitly considered in understanding their emergent electronic and quantum phenomena.

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2610.10817

Authors: Shi, Chuqiao, Espitia, Giovanny, Li, Yanxing, Jiang, Yi, Luo, Yiyuan, Qi, Xu, Yang, Kaiwen, Liu, Xiaohui, Li, Xiaoqin, Shih, Chih-Kang, Naik, Mit H., Han, Yimo

Institutions: Rice University, The University of Texas at Austin, Argonne National Laboratory, Advanced Photon Source

Language: English

Topic: 2D Materials and Applications

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Rice University, University of Texas at Austin, Office of Science, Division of Materials Research, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, Basic Energy Sciences

Awards: G102163711, G1419553934, G1453181110, G1563972504, Track 4: Advanced CI Coordination Ecosystem: Monitoring and Measurement Services, G2893224341, G3037948166, Tailoring and probing electronic/magnetic structure of engineered magnetic topological insulators, G3265821332, G3406661761, G3503245242, G3562386289, G3898241218, Track 1: ACCESS Resource Allocations Marketplace and Platform Services (RAMPS), G4010157413, G426311843, G4478963120, ACO: An Open CI Ecosystem to Advance Scientific Discovery (OpenCI), G4774908964, G478808451, CAREER: Understanding Strain and Strain Relaxation Mechanisms in Complex Two-Dimensional Materials, Track 3: COre National Ecosystem for CyberinfrasTructure (CONECT), G5122498638, G513797252, G5212984984, G5367127336, G5407198328, G5464919783, G6025207788, G6121277264, G6316823789, G6473820372, G6918803902, G6965887028, G7583137537, G8174472116, Track 2: Customized Multi-tier Assistance, Training, and Computational Help (MATCH) for End User ACCESS to CI, Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials, G993149817

OpenAlex ID: W7221172866

Cites: 1

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Related to: 10