Aalto University – Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which consist of a single layer of atoms, have attracted a lot of attention since the isolation of graphene in 2004. They have unique electrical, optical, and mechanical properties, like high conductivity, flexibility and strength, which makes them promising materials for such things as lasers, photovoltaics, sensors and medical applications.
When a sheet of 2D material is placed over another and slightly rotated, the twist can radically change the bilayer material’s properties and lead to exotic physical behaviours, such as high temperature superconductivity — exiting for electrical engineering; nonlinear optics — exciting for lasers and data transmission; and structural super-lubricity- a newly discovered mechanical property which researchers are only beginning to understand. The study of these properties has given birth to a new field of research called twistronics, so-called because it’s a combination of twist and electronics.
Aalto University’s researchers collaborating with international colleagues have now developed a new method for making these twisted layers on scales that are large enough to be useful, for the first time. Their new method for transferring single-atom layers of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) allows researchers to precisely control the twist angle between layers with up to a square centimetre in area, making it record-breaking in terms of size. Controlling the interlayer twist angle on a large scale is crucial for the future practical applications of twistronics.
A significant advancement for a brand-new field of research
Since twistronics research was introduced only in 2018, basic research is still needed to understand the properties of twisted materials better before they find their ways to practical applications. The Wolf Prize in Physics, one of the most prestigious scientific awards, was awarded to Profs. Rafi Bistritzer, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, and Allan H. MacDonald this year for their groundbreaking work on twistronics, which indicates the game-changing potential of the emerging field.
Previous research has demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate the required twist angle by transfer method or atomic force microscope tip manipulation techniques in small scales. The sample size has usually been in the order of ten-microns, less than the size of a human hair. Larger few-layer films have also been fabricated, but their interlayer twist angle is random. Now the researchers can grow large films using an epitaxial growth method and water assistant transfer method.
The results were published in Nature Communications.