Thermal transport mapping in twisted double bilayer graphene

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted significant interest due to their tunable physical properties when stacked into homo- and heterostructures. Twisting adjacent layers introduces moiré patterns that strongly influence the material's electronic and thermal behavior. In twisted graphene systems, the twist angle critically alters phonon transport, leading to reduced thermal conductivity compared to Bernal-stacked configurations. However, experimental investigations into thermal transport in twisted structures remain limited. Here, we study the local thermal properties of low-angle (<1°) twisted double bilayer graphene using scanning thermal microscopy. We find an increase in thermal resistance of 0.3±0.1×106 KW−1 compared to untwisted bilayers, attributed to changes in both intrinsic thermal conductivity and the tip–sample interface. Analytical modeling shows that such variations may be attributed to intrinsic conductivity changes or modifications of the tip–sample interface resistance, or a combination of both. Our study highlights how twist alters the overall thermal resistance network in graphene heterostructures, providing direct nanoscale evidence that moiré engineering impacts multiple pathways of heat dissipation. These insights advance understanding of thermal transport in twisted 2D systems and open avenues for thermal management in twistronic devices.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Applied Physics Letters
Published
2025-11-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0289373
Primary Topic
Thermal properties of materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Thermal transport mapping in twisted double bilayer graphene

Pascal Gehring, Yuanzhuo Hong, Roop K. Mech, Bernard Nysten et al.
Applied Physics Letters
Thermal properties of materials
article

Thermal transport mapping in twisted double bilayer graphene

Pascal Gehring, Yuanzhuo Hong, Roop K. Mech, Bernard Nysten, Takashi Taniguchi, B. Hackens, Pauline de Crombrugghe, Alessandra Canetta, Sergio Gonzalez Munoz, Jean Spièce, Kenji Watanabe, Yubin Huang, Rebeca Ribeiro-Palau, Sambit Mohapatra, Khushboo Agarwal, Oleg Kolosov
article en

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted significant interest due to their tunable physical properties when stacked into homo- and heterostructures. Twisting adjacent layers introduces moiré patterns that strongly influence the material's electronic and thermal behavior. In twisted graphene systems, the twist angle critically alters phonon transport, leading to reduced thermal conductivity compared to Bernal-stacked configurations. However, experimental investigations into thermal transport in twisted structures remain limited. Here, we study the local thermal properties of low-angle (<1°) twisted double bilayer graphene using scanning thermal microscopy. We find an increase in thermal resistance of 0.3±0.1×106 KW−1 compared to untwisted bilayers, attributed to changes in both intrinsic thermal conductivity and the tip–sample interface. Analytical modeling shows that such variations may be attributed to intrinsic conductivity changes or modifications of the tip–sample interface resistance, or a combination of both. Our study highlights how twist alters the overall thermal resistance network in graphene heterostructures, providing direct nanoscale evidence that moiré engineering impacts multiple pathways of heat dissipation. These insights advance understanding of thermal transport in twisted 2D systems and open avenues for thermal management in twistronic devices.

Applied Physics LettersVol. 127(19)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), National Institute for Materials Science (JP), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies (FR), Lancaster City Council (GB), Lancaster University (GB), UCLouvain (BE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 73%
Thermal properties of materials
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.