Kagom\'e network of chiral miniband-edge states in double-aligned graphene-hexagonal boron nitride structures

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a nearly perfectly aligned graphene-hBN-graphene heterostructure forms a Kagomé network of topologically protected chiral edge states near the miniband edge, influenced by the twist angle and symmetry breaking.

Contribution

It reveals the formation of a Kagomé network of chiral miniband-edge states in double-aligned graphene-hBN structures, highlighting the role of symmetry breaking and topological properties.

Findings

Kagomé network of chiral edge states identified

Topologically protected states propagate along domain boundaries

Energy levels near the miniband edge are affected by alignment

Abstract

Twistronic heterostructures have recently emerged as a new class of quantum electronic materials with properties determined by the twist angle between the adjacent two-dimensional materials. Here we study moir\'e superlattice minibands in graphene (G) encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) with an almost perfect alignment with both the top and bottom hBN crystals. We show that, for such an orientation of the unit cells of the hBN layers that locally breaks inversion symmetry of the graphene lattice, the hBN/G/hBN structure features a Kagom\'e network of topologically protected chiral states with energies near the miniband edge, propagating along the lines separating the areas with different miniband Chern numbers.