By rotating two layers of graphene, physicists can turn insulators into superconductors at will.

Science · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Twistronics is the study of how the angle between stacked two-dimensional materials fundamentally alters their electrical behavior. By rotating graphene layers to a precise magic angle, researchers have unlocked extraordinary phenomena, including superconductivity and magnetism, effectively creating a new toolkit for controlling electrons in ways previously thought impossible.

The field of twistronics emerged from the realization that the electronic properties of bilayer graphene are highly sensitive to the twist angle between its layers. In 2010, researchers at Rutgers University identified the moiré pattern that defines these structures, while teams in Chile theorized that at an angle near 1 degree, the electronic band structure becomes flat, potentially enabling collective electron behavior. This theoretical foundation was refined in 2011 by Allan H. MacDonald and Rafi Bistritzer, who identified the specific magic angle where electron tunneling energy shifts dramatically.

Experimental validation arrived in 2018, when Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and Yuan Cao of MIT, alongside collaborators from Harvard and the National Institute for Materials Science, demonstrated superconductivity in bilayer graphene rotated by 1.1 degrees at a temperature of 1.7 K. By applying a magnetic field, they could toggle these devices between insulating and superconducting states. Further research has since shown that applying a small voltage differential can also switch these superconductive paths on and off, offering precise control over electrical flow.

Beyond simple bilayer graphene, twistronics has expanded into complex heterostructures. By incorporating materials like boron nitride, scientists have induced orbital ferromagnetism, which may eventually support memory storage in quantum computers. Even more striking is the discovery that specific alignments between different 2-D materials, such as bismuth selenide and a dichalcogenide, can trap electrons into a stable, non-atomic lattice. This breakthrough suggests that we are moving toward a future where we can confine and transport electrons within custom-engineered, purely electronic structures.

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