Visualizing the microscopic phases of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene

A Princeton University-led team of scientists has imaged the precise microscopic underpinnings responsible for many quantum phases observed in a material known as magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG). This remarkable material, which consists of twisted layers of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal pattern, has in recent years been at the forefront of research in physics, especially in condensed matter physics.