Twisted multilayer moir\'e water waves topologically robust to disorder

Abstract

Moir\'e patterns, stacking and twisting multilayer periodic lattices into superlattices, have become cornerstones of many physical systems from condensed matter to wave phenomena, but have never been properly studied in water waves. Here, we demonstrate twisted multilayer moir\'e water surface waves carrying robust skyrmionic topologies. Using a custom water tank of circular multi-channel phased array, we precisely generate water-wave skyrmion lattices and superimpose them into moir\'e superlattices with higher-order topological textures, e.g., skyrmion bags and clusters, programmed via the twist angle. We also quantitatively compare the topological robustness of bilayer and trilayer configurations under spatiotemporal perturbations. The trilayer moir\'e superlattices exhibit more enhanced stability, stronger field localization and energy concentration than the bilayer. Our work establishes water waves as a macroscopic, tunable, and visually accessible platform for moir\'e physics, towards robust particle manipulation and classical analogues of topological quantum phenomena.