Chiral model of twisted bilayer graphene realized in a monolayer
Valentin Crépel, Aaron Dunbrack, Daniele Guerci, John Bonini, Jennifer Cano
Abstract
We demonstrate that a single layer of graphene subject to a superlattice potential nearly commensurate to a $\sqrt{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{3}$ supercell exactly maps to the chiral model of twisted bilayer graphene, albeit with half as many degrees of freedom. We comprehensively review the properties of this ``half-chiral model,'' including the interacting phases stabilized at integer fillings and the effects of substrate-induced symmetry breaking. We list candidate substrates that could produce a superlattice potential on graphene with the correct periodicity to access the flat-band limit. Experimental measurements on a half-chiral moir\'e heterostructure, in which valley skyrmions cannot form, could yield insights on the physics they mediate in twisted bilayer graphene.