Superconductivity and strong correlations in moiré flat bands

• Published in: Nature physics Vol. 16; no. 7; pp. 725 - 733
• Main Authors: Balents, Leon, Dean, Cory R., Efetov, Dmitri K., Young, Andrea F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.07.2020; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Publishing Group (NPG)
• Subjects: 639/766/119/1003; 639/766/119/2792; 639/766/119/2794; 639/766/119/995; 639/766/119/997; Atomic; Bandwidths; Bilayers; Classical and Continuum Physics; Complex Systems; Condensed Matter Physics; Correlation; Energy; Graphene; Heterostructures; High temperature; Kinetic energy; Magnetic fields; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Molecular; Optical and Plasma Physics; Perspective; Phenomenology; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum entanglement; Quantum mechanics; Spectrum allocation; Superconductivity; Theoretical; Two dimensional materials
• ISSN: 1745-2473; 1745-2481
• DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-0906-9

Strongly correlated systems can give rise to spectacular phenomenology, from high-temperature superconductivity to the emergence of states of matter characterized by long-range quantum entanglement. Low-density flat-band systems play a vital role because the energy range of the band is so narrow that the Coulomb interactions dominate over kinetic energy, putting these materials in the strongly-correlated regime. Experimentally, when a band is narrow in both energy and momentum, its filling may be tuned in situ across the whole range, from empty to full. Recently, one particular flat-band system—that of van der Waals heterostructures, such as twisted bilayer graphene—has exhibited strongly correlated states and superconductivity, but it is still not clear to what extent the two are linked. Here, we review the status and prospects for flat-band engineering in van der Waals heterostructures and explore how both phenomena emerge from the moiré flat bands. The identification of superconductivity and strong interactions in twisted bilayer 2D materials prompted many questions about the interplay of these phenomena. This Perspective presents the status of the field and the urgent issues for future study.