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Signatures of Flexoelectric Polar Vortex Superstructure and Electronic-Correlation-Modulated Screening in a Double-Moiré System

  • Si yu Li
  • , Zhongrui Wang
  • , Yingzhuo Han
  • , Shaoqing Xu
  • , Zhiyue Xu
  • , Yingbo Wang
  • , Zhengwen Wang
  • , Yucheng Xue
  • , Aisheng Song
  • , Kenji Watanabe
  • , Takashi Taniguchi
  • , Xueyun Wang
  • , Tian Bao Ma*
  • , Jiawang Hong*
  • , Hong Jun Gao
  • , Yuhang Jiang*
  • , Jinhai Mao*
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • CAS - Institute of Physics
  • Soochow University
  • Beijing Institute of Technology
  • Tsinghua University
  • National Institute for Materials Science Tsukuba

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

Abstract

Nanoscale polar structures are essential for understanding polarization processes in low-dimensional systems and offer exciting prospects for high-performance electronics. Here, we reveal the signatures of a flexoelectric polar vortex superstructure in twisted bilayer graphene aligned with hexagonal boron nitride (TBG/hBN), where strong coupling between two moiré patterns induces pronounced structural relaxation. Scanning tunneling microscopy uncovers moiré-scale flat-band bending, distinct from domain-wall-confined polarization in minimally twisted graphene. Theoretical simulations demonstrate that the lowering of point-group symmetry plays a crucial role and indicate that the in-plane polarization field forms an array of polar vortices. Moreover, near the magic angle, the polarization becomes highly gate-tunable and couples to electron correlations, leading to spatially modulated correlated gaps. Our findings establish the coupling of multiple moiré patterns as a powerful strategy for engineering nanoscale polar structures and emergent quantum states.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5102-5111
Number of pages10
JournalNano Letters
Volume26
Issue number15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Apr 2026
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • electronic correlation
  • flexoelectricity
  • polar vortex
  • structural relaxation
  • twisted graphene system

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