Harnessing the photonic local density of states in graphene moiré superlattices

Abstract

In this work we investigate the electromagnetic local density of states (LDOS) near a twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) deposited over a general isotropic substrate. The band structure of the TBG is calculated within a tight-binding framework, and then used to determine the TBG's conductivity. The latter presents a nontrivial dependence upon the angle of twist, which shows up in the LDOS, allowing for a moir\'e pattern-dependent quantum emission. For some specific twist angles we show that it is possible to either enhance or decrease the LDOS by an order of magnitude at selected frequencies when compared to the monolayer. This impressive variation is explained in terms of the presence/absence of well defined surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). Altogether our findings demonstrate that TBG is an alternative, versatile material platform for controlling spontaneous emission and enhancing light-matter interactions, and pave the way for further studies and applications of quantum emission in the emerging class of two-dimensional moir\'e materials.