Searcharxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2312.01820

Competing interlayer interactions in twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene: From spontaneous electric polarization to quasi-magic angle

Wei-En Tseng·Mei-Yin Chou
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The family of moir\'e materials provides a powerful platform for tuning interlayer couplings via the twist angle in systems with large spatial periodicity. In trilayer graphene systems, interlayer couplings at the two interfaces can possibly be tuned separately, and the competition between these interactions can therefore influence the electronic structure in a significant way. In this study, we investigate the electronic properties of twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene (aAB) beyond the continuum model, using first-principles calculations combined with an accurate tight-binding model. We find that at large twist angles, the electronic features of aAB are well described by the interaction between the parabolic bands of the Bernal AB-bilayer and the Dirac bands of the twisted monolayer, resulting in a spontaneous electric polarization in the former that splits the parabolic bands. As the twist angle decreases, the coupling between adjacent layers at the twisted interface becomes dominant, which makes aAB look like twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) interacting with the outer Bernal layer. A moir\'e potential emerges in the TBG-like layers, leading to charge localization, while the outer Bernal layer exhibits charge delocalization with substantial sublattice polarization at the atomic scale. Furthermore, we identify narrow bands with a minimum width at a quasi-magic angle of 1.16 degrees, closely matching the magic angle of TBG. The enhanced electron correlation expected in these narrow bands suggests that aAB is a promising platform for exploring correlated electronic phenomena.

Explore related subjects

cond-mat.mes-hallcond-mat.mtrl-sci

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Wei-En Tseng, Mei-Yin Chou. 2023-12-04. Competing interlayer interactions in twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene: From spontaneous electric polarization to quasi-magic angle. https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.01820

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Emergence of spin-orbit coupling among spin, atomic orbital, and Bloch dynamics in Janus double-transition-metal MXenes

We found a spin-orbit coupling to cause a simultaneous correlation among three degrees of freedom, the electronic spin, orbital, and Bloch dynamics in an investigation into the electronic structure of Janus double-transition-metal MXenes, Mo$_2$HfC$_2$OS and W$_2$HfC$_2$OS. In this paper, it is also revealed that the spin-orbit coupling causes a staggered spin configuration with a trigonal pattern around the $\Gamma$ point near the insulating gap. We developed a reduced Hamiltonian describing the electronic states and show that the spin-orbit coupling cannot be equated with conventional forms for a single electron in solids, LS, Rashba, and Dresselhaus couplings, even in the approximation under the low-energy and small wave number condition. Because of the intrinsic shape of the conduction band, a trigonally alternating spin-momentum locking emerges with the spin axis perpendicular to the layer plane. The theoretical analysis shows that these Janus materials can provide a platform for exploring the spin-related phenomena due to the trigonal spin-momentum locking other than Rashba and Dresselhaus types.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

A substrate booster for P-type 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor

Spin transistors with its both charge and spin properties tuned via electrostatic gating are believed capable for widespread use, which however have proven challenging due to the extreme rareness of their physical base -- magnetic semiconductors. The latter are limited within very few systems including diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) and two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductors (2D-FMS), and known to suffer from inadequate gate-tunability of their electric and/or magnetic properties. Here, we show a substrate engineering paradigm by interfacing few-layered Cr$_{2}$Ge$_{2}$Te$_{6}$ (FL-CGT) with an antiferromagnetic insulator CrOCl. Owing to the subtle interfacial charge transfer couplings, CGT can be drastically turned from an ambipolar semiconductor into a high performance P-type semiconductor. When cooled below the Curie temperature, the ON-OFF ratio in such substrate-boosted FMS field-effect transistor (FET) reaches 10$^{5}$ with its coercive field $H_{c}$ of magnetic hysteresis loop tunable by a factor of more than 200$\%$, enabling {gate-assisted magnetic switching in the prototype semiconducting spin transistor architecture}. A crossover from critical power-law scaling to a dual power-law behaviour under heavy hole doping was further observed. Our findings {signify} an efficient interfacial charge transfer and electrically modulated magnetic anisotropy energy supported by calculations. This high performance P-type FMS-FET system suggests that active substrate-boosting paradigm might be a powerful path for the investigation of future gate-tunable spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

In-plane magnetic field control of anomalous Hall response enabled by magnetic anisotropy engineering

Engineering magnetic anisotropy provides a powerful route to control magnetization orientation and unlock emerging functionalities in opto-spintronic and current-driven devices. Beyond its role in magnetization reversal, the effective anisotropy can strongly influence the magnetotransport response, offering an additional degree of freedom to tune new device functionalities. In this work, we report a magnetotransport study of a ferrimagnetic [Tb/Co]$_{\times 5}$ multilayer grown with a Tb thickness gradient, whose wedge-shaped tilts the uniaxial anisotropy axis slightly away from the film normal. Anomalous Hall resistivity measurements from 80 K to 300 K reveal a spin reorientation transition, while the angular dependence of the magnetotransport responses exposes the crucial role of the tilted anisotropy. A simplified macrospin model reproduces the full angular response across the transition and shows that the observed anomalous Hall effect when the in-plane magnetic field is applied originates from the tilt of the uniaxial anisotropy axis, which supplies a built-in symmetry-breaking mechanism, enabling in-plane field control over the out-of-plane anomalous Hall response, sign included. These findings establish tilted magnetic anisotropy as a promising route toward Hall effect-based sensor applications and highlight Tb/Co multilayers as a versatile platform for anisotropy-engineered spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗