Moire pattern as a magnifying glass for strain and dislocations in van der Waals heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper explores how moire patterns in graphene heterostructures can serve as magnifying glasses to detect strain and dislocations, revealing their effects on electronic properties.

Contribution

It introduces a phenomenological theory linking deformations in van der Waals heterostructures to moire pattern geometries and electronic behavior.

Findings

Moire patterns amplify the effects of strain and dislocations.

Deformations significantly influence electronic properties.

Theoretical framework connects structural deformations to electronic changes.

Abstract

We consider the role of deformations in graphene heterostructures with hexagonal crystals (including strain, wrinkles and dislocations) on the geometrical properties of moire patterns characteristic for a pair of two incommensurate misaligned isostructural crystals. By, employing a phenomenological theory to describe generic moire perturbation in van der Waals heterostructures of graphene and hexagonal crystals we investigate the electronic properties of such heterostructure.