In the fast moving field of two dimensional materials, even a slight rotational shift between layers can dramatically change how a material behaves. Scientists previously discovered that when atom thin crystals are stacked with a small angular mismatch, their electronic properties can transform. This approach, known as moiré engineering, has become a key strategy for designing new forms of quantum matter.
Now researchers report in Nature Nanotechnology that magnetism can also behave in surprising ways under these conditions. In twisted antiferromagnetic layers, magnetic spin patterns are not limited to the small repeating moiré unit cell. Instead, they can spread into much larger, topological structures that extend across hundreds of nanometers.
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