Japanese scientists discover strange new stripes in twisted nanomaterials

A team of Japanese researchers has discovered a completely new mode of interference that could reshape how engineers design future electronic components. Through precise twisted layers of unusual materials, they create a pattern of parallel stripes that has never been seen before, contrary to conventional physical understanding.

The discovery, published in the journal ACS Nano, took place by scientists at the Institute of Industrial Sciences at the University of Tokyo, experimented with a larger distortion angle between atomic layers than the ones normally studied.

“The resulting pattern is a series of parallel stripes,” explained Yijin Zhang, one of the corresponding authors of the study. “The typical interference pattern looks like a two-dimensional array of highlights. These one-dimensional bands are completely different from all previously known patterns.”

Anyone who has ever seen two window screens slightly misalign or overlapping patterns on the fabric has witnessed what scientists call the Moyer effect—when similar structures overlap, beautiful patterns of distractions appear. These patterns are not only visually fascinating. They fundamentally change the way materials behave at the quantum level.

Most studies focus on small distortion angles between atomic layers, which are just a few degrees of rotation. This is because scientists believe that larger angles will make the pattern too small to be useful. However, the Tokyo team decided to challenge this assumption by exploring a larger perspective in a material called Tungsten ditelluride.

Using powerful transmission electron microscopy and theoretical modeling, the researchers found that the rotation happened to be 61.767° and 58.264°, something unexpected happened: instead of the typical dot-like pattern, perfectly direct parallel bands appeared. Even one-tenth of the distortion angle difference can cause the pattern to return to normal spots.

“A more disordered lattice means fewer limitations at distorted angles,” explains senior writer Tomoki Machida. “By choosing to study this material, we are free to explore patterns that appear when the angle increases significantly.”

The anomalous atomic structure of Tungsten ditelluride (combined by twisted quadrilaterals rather than honeycomb patterns found in materials like graphene), is key to the discovery. This structural quirk allows these significant patterns to be formed at specific large angles.

These findings may have profound implications for designing new electronic devices. Most electronic components conduct electricity equally in all directions, but these one-dimensional patterns can enable scientists to control the flow of electricity or heat along a specific path.

“The Moiré mode controls the optoelectronic properties of the material, so this discovery opens the door for engineered materials with unique anisotropic properties,” Zhang said. “For example, it will soon be possible to adjust the nanomaterials to perform heat or electricity in a specific direction.”

This precise control can be particularly valuable for ultra-efficient electronic devices, quantum computing components, or thermal management in tiny devices where directing heat from sensitive components is critical.

The research team believes that this is just the beginning. They are now looking for similar one-dimensional patterns in other materials and exploring practical applications of their discovery.

As the boundaries between physics, materials science and art continue to blur at the nanoscale, these elegant striped patterns may soon shift from scientific curiosity to technological necessity – once again proving that in the quantum world, beauty and function often join hands.