Strain-dependent one-dimensional confinement channels in twisted bilayer 1T$'$-WTe$_2$

Abstract

The low symmetry and anistropic lattice of 1T$'$ WTe$_2$ is responsible for the existence of parallel one-dimensional channels in the moiré patterns of twisted bilayers. This gives the opportunity to explore moiré physics of a different nature to that widely observed in twisted bilayers of materials with hexagonal symmetries. Here, we combine plane-wave and linear-scaling density functional theory calculations to describe the electronic properties of twisted bilayer 1T$'$ WTe$_2$. For a small change in the lattice parameters of the constituent 1T$'$ WTe$_2$ monolayers, we find a substantial moiré-induced striped electrostatic potential landscape in the twisted bilayer, with a peak-to-trough magnitude $>$200~meV.