Observation of Low Energy Raman Modes in Twisted Bilayer Graphene

TL;DR

This study reports the discovery of two low-energy Raman modes in twisted bilayer graphene, revealing their dependence on twisting angle and providing insights into lattice vibrations and electronic interactions.

Contribution

It identifies and assigns two new low-energy Raman modes in twisted bilayer graphene, elucidating their resonance mechanisms and dependence on twist angle.

Findings

The 94 cm^-1 mode is linked to layer breathing vibrations.

The 52 cm^-1 mode is tentatively attributed to a torsion mode.

Both modes are strongly affected by the twisting angle.

Abstract

Two new Raman modes below 100 cm^-1 are observed in twisted bilayer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition. The two modes are observed in a small range of twisting angle at which the intensity of the G Raman peak is strongly enhanced, indicating that these low energy modes and the G Raman mode share the same resonance enhancement mechanism, as a function of twisting angle. The 94 cm^-1 mode (measured with a 532 nm laser excitation) is assigned to the fundamental layer breathing vibration (ZO (prime) mode) mediated by the twisted bilayer graphene lattice, which lacks long-range translational symmetry. The dependence of this modes frequency and linewidth on the rotational angle can be explained by the double resonance Raman process which is different from the previously-identified Raman processes activated by twisted bilayer graphene superlattice. The dependence also reveals the strong impact of electronic-band overlaps of the two graphene layers. Another new mode at 52 cm^-1, not observed previously in the bilayer graphene system, is tentatively attributed to a torsion mode in which the bottom and top graphene layers rotate out-of-phase in the plane.