Effects of band gap on the magic-angle of twisted bilayer graphene

Abstract

Abstract Band flattening has been observed in various materials with twisted bilayer structures, such as graphene, MoS2, and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). However, the unique phenomenon of magic-angle has only been reported in the twisted bilayer graphene (tBG) and not in the twisted bilayer semiconductors or insulators. We aim to investigate the impact of gap opening and interlayer coupling strength on the magic-angle in the tBG. Our results based on the continuum model Hamiltonian with mass term indicate that the presence of a band gap hinders the occurrence of the magic-angle, but strengthening the interlayer coupling tends to restore it. By introducing layer asymmetry, such as interlayer bias or mass difference between layers, the flat bands become more dispersive. Furthermore, we have explored the influence of the Moiré’s potential due to the hBN substrate by calculating the quasi-band-structure of the hetero-structure tBG/hBN. Our findings indicate that the conclusions drawn from using the mass term remain valid despite the presence of the Moiré’s potential due to the hBN substrate.