Remote imprinting of moiré lattices

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) moiré materials have emerged as an exciting platform for discoveries of new physics and device concepts 1-6. These materials are formed by overlaying two layered crystals with small differences in orientation or/and lattice constant, the direct coupling of which generates moiré potentials. The moiré materials (such as doping density) are highly tunable, but the moiré lattices, once formed, cannot be easily altered. Here we demonstrate electrostatic imprinting of moiré lattices onto a monolayer semiconductor. The moiré potential is created by a lattice of electrons that is supported by a Mott insulator state in a remote MoSe2/WS2 moiré layer. The imprinted moiré potential generates flat bands and correlated insulating states in the target material, which are detected by an exciton sensor. It can be turned on/off by a gate voltage that controls the doping density only in the moiré layer. We also illustrate the interplay between the electrostatic and structural relaxation effects for moiré imprinting as a function of the target and moiré layer spacing. Our results demonstrate a pathway towards the gate control of moiré lattices, including currently inaccessible symmetries, in an arbitrary 2D semiconductor or semimetal.