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Moiré Photonic Crystals: from Fabric to Magic

Marion Lavignac, Hai Son Nguyen, Xavier Letartre, Ségolène Callard, Lydie Ferrier

TL;DR

The paper surveys moiré photonic crystals, showing how subwavelength bilayer lattices with a twist generate a moiré superlattice that hosts new photonic modes. It explains the emergence of moiré modes and quasi-flat bands at specific magic angles, arising from the balance of intra- and interlayer couplings and Dirac-cone hybridization. It explores broader moiré geometries beyond honeycomb bilayers, highlighting tunability via interlayer distance and lattice mismatch. The work discusses potential applications in enhanced light–matter interactions, tunable sensors, and polarization-enabled devices, while noting experimental hurdles and the ongoing search for true magic configurations.

Abstract

Moiré patterns have recently become a very active field in nanophotonics. Those structures exhibit novel photonic properties unattainable with traditional photonic crystals. Especially, moiré magic configurations have been shown to allow intriguing slow light modes with zero group velocity. Starting from macroscopic moiré patterns in the everyday life, we will then shift to the subwavelength scale of moiré photonic crystals and detail some of their unusual properties.

Moiré Photonic Crystals: from Fabric to Magic

TL;DR

The paper surveys moiré photonic crystals, showing how subwavelength bilayer lattices with a twist generate a moiré superlattice that hosts new photonic modes. It explains the emergence of moiré modes and quasi-flat bands at specific magic angles, arising from the balance of intra- and interlayer couplings and Dirac-cone hybridization. It explores broader moiré geometries beyond honeycomb bilayers, highlighting tunability via interlayer distance and lattice mismatch. The work discusses potential applications in enhanced light–matter interactions, tunable sensors, and polarization-enabled devices, while noting experimental hurdles and the ongoing search for true magic configurations.

Abstract

Moiré patterns have recently become a very active field in nanophotonics. Those structures exhibit novel photonic properties unattainable with traditional photonic crystals. Especially, moiré magic configurations have been shown to allow intriguing slow light modes with zero group velocity. Starting from macroscopic moiré patterns in the everyday life, we will then shift to the subwavelength scale of moiré photonic crystals and detail some of their unusual properties.
Paper Structure (4 sections, 5 figures)

This paper contains 4 sections, 5 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Magic moiré photonic crystals
  3. New moiré geometries
  4. Properties

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Macroscopic moiré patterns. (a) Moiré fabric. (b) Moiré patterns in curtains. (c) Moiré pattern from a resolution mismatch. (d) Striped moiré pattern produced by the superposition of bridge barriers (Pont Général Koenig, Lyon). (e) Moiré pattern on the back of a chair. Credits: (a) Wikipedia; (b--e) photos by Marion Lavignac.
  • Figure 2: Graphene-like moiré photonic crystal. (a) Bilayer geometry. (b) Moiré lattice and reciprocal lattice depending on the twist angle..
  • Figure 3: Intra and interlayer couplings in a bilayer photonic crystal. The modes can be guided modes living in each layer for example.
  • Figure 4: Flat band formation within graphene-like geometry.
  • Figure 5: Various moiré geometries. (a) Twisted 1D gratings. (b) Twisted square lattices. (c) 1D gratings with lattice mismatch.