NCSU Scientists Develop Method to Create Large-Area Twisted Oxide Materials

Researchers have unveiled a breakthrough in twistronics, a field that manipulates the electronic properties of materials by twisting layers of two-dimensional (2D) crystals. A team led by Ruijuan Xu at North Carolina State University (NCSU) has demonstrated a technique to fabricate large-area twisted oxide materials with precise control over interlayer bonding, while a separate study in Small Structures highlights the potential of perovskite moiré superlattices. These advances, reported by Sciencedaily and Wiley, could reshape the future of electronics, quantum computing, and sustainable technologies.

A New Approach to Twistronics

The traditional focus of twistronics has been on 2D materials held together by weak van der Waals forces, such as twisted bilayer graphene. However, Xu’s team has shifted the paradigm by using strong chemical bonds between oxide layers. By stacking sodium niobate (NaNbO₃) membranes and controlling their rotation angle, the researchers achieved a deterministic fabrication process that creates large-area moiré superlattices. This method, published in ACS Nano, addresses a critical challenge in scaling up twistronics for practical applications.

The strong interlayer bonding we found between oxide layers suggests there may be entirely new interfacial phenomena to explore, Xu said in a Sciencedaily report. The team used photolithography to mark reference points on the membranes, enabling precise alignment during assembly. An annealing process then formed robust chemical bonds, while synchrotron X-ray diffraction revealed that the bonds distorted the atomic lattice at the interface, creating a gradual rotation of the crystal structure.

Perovskites Expand the Moiré Landscape

Unlike van der Waals systems, perovskites feature ionic-covalent bonding and soft octahedral lattices, enabling deeper moiré potentials (100–200 meV) that support room-temperature excitons and tunable quantum phenomena. The study categorizes advancements into two classes: 2D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) perovskites with guided twisted stacking and 3D perovskite lamellae achieved through topotactic conversion.

Intercrystals: A Hybrid Material Discovery

At Rutgers University, Eva Andrei and her team discovered “intercrystals”—a new class of materials combining properties of conventional crystals and quasicrystals. By twisting graphene layers atop hexagonal boron nitride, they created moiré patterns that altered electron movement, enabling control over electronic behavior without changing chemical composition. This work, published in Nature Materials, suggests intercrystals could serve as building blocks for low-loss electronics and quantum sensors.

Intercrystals give us a new handle to control electronic behavior using geometry alone, Andrei said. The study highlights potential applications in transistors, sensors, and quantum computing, leveraging the sustainability of carbon-, boron-, and nitrogen-based materials over rare earth elements. The team also noted that intercrystals exhibit superconductivity and magnetism under specific structural variations, opening new avenues for material design.

Implications for Electronics and Quantum Technologies

The convergence of these studies underscores a shift toward scalable, chemically bonded twistronic systems. Xu’s work on oxide materials addresses the need for large-area fabrication, while perovskite research expands the range of functional properties. Meanwhile, intercrystals offer a hybrid approach that bridges traditional and quasicrystalline structures.

Because these crystalline membranes can be fabricated over large areas and transferred onto different supports, this approach provides a practical path toward twist-engineered oxide electronics, Xu noted. The Small Structures study also highlights the potential for multifunctional quantum-optoelectronic devices, while Rutgers’ findings suggest intercrystals could underpin next-generation sustainable technologies.

As the field matures, researchers face hurdles in achieving defect-free fabrication and real-time twist control. However, the collaborative progress across oxide materials, perovskites, and intercrystals signals a transformative era for material science. The ability to engineer electronic properties through geometric twisting—rather than chemical alteration—could redefine the design of future devices, from ultra-efficient transistors to quantum processors.

The studies collectively demonstrate that twistronics is no longer confined to theoretical models. With scalable techniques and novel material systems, the next decade may see these discoveries transition from lab experiments to commercial applications, reshaping the landscape of electronics and quantum technologies.