Unveiling the Miniband Structure of Graphene Moir\'e Superlattices via Gate-dependent Terahertz Photocurrent Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study introduces gate-dependent terahertz photocurrent spectroscopy to probe and quantify the complex electronic miniband structure of graphene moiré superlattices, revealing tiny energy gaps and optoelectronic responses linked to Berry phase effects.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates a novel spectroscopic technique to detect and analyze intricate miniband features in graphene moiré superlattices, providing insights inaccessible by traditional methods.

Findings

Detection of avoided band crossings and tiny energy gaps (~1-20 meV)

Observation of enhanced responsivities in off-resonance regimes

Identification of bulk photocurrents related to Berry phase effects

Abstract

Moir\'e superlattices formed at the interface between stacked two-dimensional atomic crystals offer limitless opportunities to design materials with widely tunable properties and engineer intriguing quantum phases of matter. However, despite progress, precise probing of the electronic states and tantalizingly complex band textures of these systems remain challenging. Here, we present gate-dependent terahertz photocurrent spectroscopy as a robust technique to detect, explore and quantify intricate electronic properties in graphene moir\'e superlattices. Specifically, using terahertz light at different frequencies, we demonstrate distinct photocurrent regimes evidencing the presence of avoided band crossings and tiny (~1-20 meV) inversion-breaking global and local energy gaps in the miniband structure of minimally twisted graphene and hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures, key information that is inaccessible by conventional electrical or optical techniques. In the off-resonance regime, when the radiation energy is smaller than the gap values, enhanced zero-bias responsivities arise in the system due to the lower Fermi velocities and specific valley degeneracies of the charge carriers subjected to moir\'e superlattice potentials. In stark contrast, above-gap excitations give rise to bulk photocurrents -- intriguing optoelectronic responses related to the geometric Berry phase of the constituting electronic minibands. Besides their fundamental importance, these results place moir\'e superlattices as promising material platforms for advanced, sensitive and low-noise terahertz detection applications.