• 文献标题:   Detecting Symmetry Breaking in Magic Angle Graphene Using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   HONG JP, SOEJIMA T, ZALETEL MP
  • 作者关键词:  
  • 出版物名称:   PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
  • ISSN:   0031-9007 EI 1079-7114
  • 通讯作者地址:  
  • 被引频次:   3
  • DOI:   10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.147001
  • 出版年:   2022

▎ 摘  要

A growing body of experimental work suggests that magic angle twisted bilayer graphene exhibits a "cascade" of spontaneous symmetry-breaking transitions, sparking interest in the potential relationship between symmetry breaking and superconductivity. However, it has proven difficult to find experimental probes which can unambiguously identify the nature of the symmetry breaking. Here, we show how atomically resolved scanning tunneling microscopy can be used as a fingerprint of symmetry-breaking order. By analyzing the pattern of sublattice polarization and "Kekule" distortions in small magnetic fields, order parameters for each of the most competitive symmetry-breaking states can be identified. In particular, we show that the "Kramers intervalley coherent state," which theoretical work predicts to be the ground state at even integer fillings, shows a Kekule distortion which emerges only in a magnetic field.