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Resolving intervalley gaps and many-body resonances in moiré superconductors
Hyunjin Kim1,2,3, Gautam Rai4, Lorenzo Crippa4,5
1T. J. Watson Laboratory of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Nature
|February 4, 2026
Summary
Magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene reveals two distinct superconducting gaps. An inner gap, crucial for superconductivity, shows unique doping behavior, unlike the outer pseudogap phase.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Quantum Materials
Background:
- Magic-angle twisted multilayer graphene exhibits tunable electronic correlations and superconductivity.
- Understanding the link between superconducting and preceding correlated parent states is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation sequence of correlated phases in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene (MATTG).
- To elucidate the interplay between dynamic correlations, intervalley coherence, and superconductivity.
Main Methods:
- Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy were employed.
- Andreev reflection spectroscopy was used to probe electronic states.
Main Results:
- Two distinct Fermi-level gaps were observed within the superconducting doping range.
- An outer gap, associated with the pseudogap phase, is robust, while a newly discovered inner gap is more fragile.
- The inner gap's doping behavior aligns with superconducting properties, contrasting with the outer gap.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest a hierarchy of correlated phases in twisted multilayer graphene.
- The outer gap likely originates from valley symmetry breaking, splitting the Abrikosov-Suhl-Kondo resonance.
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