Intrinsically-multilayer moir\'e heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper introduces intrinsically multilayer moiré heterostructures that feature local quasicrystalline modulation, expanding the possibilities for material design beyond traditional moiré-of-moiré systems.

Contribution

It defines intrinsically multilayer patterns, provides a construction method, derives their local configuration space, and links visual patterns to physical observables.

Findings

New class of multilayer moiré heterostructures introduced

Framework for constructing and analyzing these structures developed

Potential for more diverse material systems demonstrated

Abstract

We introduce trilayer and multilayer moir\'e heterostructures that cannot be viewed from the ``moir\'e-of-moir\'e" perspective of helically-twisted trilayer graphene. These ``intrinsically trilayer" moir\'e systems feature periodic modulation of a local quasicrystalline structure. They open the door to realizing moir\'e heterostructures with vastly more material constituents because they do not constrain the lattice constants of the layers. In this manuscript, we define intrinsically multilayer patterns, provide a recipe for their construction, derive their local configuration space, and connect the visual patterns to physical observables in material systems.