Accurate Measurement of the Gap of Graphene/h-BN Moire Superlattice through Photocurrent Spectroscopy

Monolayer graphene aligned with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) develops a gap at the charge neutrality point (CNP). This gap has previously been extensively studied by electrical transport through thermal activation measurements. Here, we report the determination of the gap size at the CNP of graphene/h-BN superlattice through photocurrent spectroscopy study. We demonstrate two distinct measurement approaches to extract the gap size. A maximum of similar to 14 meV gap is observed for devices with a twist angle of less than 1 degrees. This value is significantly smaller than that obtained from thermal activation measurements, yet larger than the theoretically predicted single-particle gap. Our results suggest that lattice relaxation and moderate electron-electron interaction effects may enhance the CNP gap in graphene/h-BN superlattice.

Automated summary

By studying the graphene/h-BN superlattice using photocurrent spectroscopy, the gap size at the CNP was determined, with a maximum gap of about 14 meV observed for devices with a twist angle of less than 1 degree. The results suggest that lattice relaxation and moderate electron-electron interaction effects may enhance the CNP gap.