Stack of correlated insulating states in bilayer graphene kagome superlattice

Journal article

Graphene-based systems have emerged as a rich platform for exploring emergent quantum phenomena—including superconductivity, magnetism, and correlated insulating behavior—arising from flat electronic bands that enhance many-body interactions. Realizing such flat bands has thus far relied primarily on moiré graphene superlattices or rhombohedral stacking graphene systems, both of which face challenges in reproducibility and tunability. Here, we introduce an artificial Kagome superlattice in bilayer graphene, engineered via nanopatterning of the dielectric substrate to create a precisely defined and electrostatically tunable periodic potential. Magnetotransport measurements reveal the emergence of a stack of correlated insulating states at moderate superlattice potentials, characteristic of strong electron–electron interactions within Kagome-induced flat bands. As temperature increases, these correlated gaps collapse, signaling the thermal suppression of interaction-driven states. Continuum-model calculations confirm the formation of multiple flat minibands and reproduce the observed evolution of band reconstruction. Our results establish dielectric-patterned graphene superlattices as a robust and controllable architecture for realizing flat-band–induced correlated phenomena beyond moiré systems.

Authors: Cai, X; Ren, F; Li, Q; Shi, Y; Wang, Y

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Advanced Materials
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 17
• Article number: e22185
• Place of publication: Germany
• Publication date: 2026-02-20
• Acceptance date: 2026-02-10
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202522185
• EISSN: 1521-4095
• ISSN: 0935-9648
• Pmid: 41719095
• Language: English