Post #3882

Why are moiré patterns important for materials science? The so-called moiré patterns are motifs that emerge when two repetitive structures are overlaid. This phenomenon is well known from computer or TV screens: when looking at a finely striped pattern, e.g. on a shirt, the stripes do not look evenly spaced and seem to bend in some areas. While undesirable in this case, the moiré effect can indeed be surprisingly useful. Two atomically thin materials can be overlapped to create a new material, in which the atomic structures of the two produce a moiré pattern. Some of these moiré materials exhibit astonishing properties, drastically different from those of their components, which may be applied in science, e.g. in novel nano-electronic devices. The term originates from a French word “moiré”, a type of textile, traditionally made of silk but now also made of cotton or synthetic fiber, with a rippled or "watered" appearance, by pressing two layers of the textile when wet. Subscribe- t.me/askmenow