Confinement of superconductivity into quasi-one-dimensional channels by a super-Moiré crystal
Open Access
- 20 August 2026
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Nature Communications
- Vol. 17 (1)
Abstract
The precise spatial engineering of quantum phases stands as a major challenge in condensed matter physics, with profound implications for fundamental science and quantum technologies. While moiré heterostructures have enabled remarkable tunability on the correlated states, the deterministic spatial manipulation of emergent quantum phases like superconductivity and magnetism remains an open challenge. Here, we investigate hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)-aligned twisted bilayer graphene (TBG), in which fabrication-induced uniaxial heterostrain gives rise to a periodic quasi-one-dimensional (1D) super-moiré supercell. This supercell imprints a striking chain-like architecture onto the electronic states. Using atomic-scale spectroscopy and point-contact Andreev reflection, we demonstrate that intrinsic superconductivity arising from TBG emerges exclusively within these nanoscale channels, a phenomenon unprecedented in other quantum materials. Furthermore, we show that the superconducting state is governed by the local inversion symmetry, which can be deliberately tuned via the moiré registry with the hBN substrate. This work establishes a structural approach to atomically pattern quantum phases, bridging the gap between nanoscale symmetry control and macroscopic quantum functionality. Our results position super-moiré lattices as a programmable platform for quantum phase design, opening routes to explore exotic dimensionality crossovers in correlated electron systems.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (12474477)
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