Twist as a Mechanical Switch for Reconfigurable Stacking in h-BN

Abstract

Twistronics of layered materials has emerged as a highly active field due to its profound implications for quantum electronics and materials engineering. However, the controllable manipulation of interlayer stacking remains a significant experimental challenge. Here, the homogeneous contact between hexagonal boron nitride layers is shown to be reproducibly switched between two distinct stable stacking configurations via an externally applied torque. Combining experiments and computational modelling, we identify the stacking order of these stable states as the commensurate AA and AB modes. These two states are associated with different rotational torque maxima, exhibiting an asymmetry ratio of 0.7, and distinct dynamics as a function of the twist angle. Moreover, the peak torque values scale linearly with contact area, highlighting the dominant role of edge elasticity in the twisting process. Given that the AA and AB stacking modes correspond to different out-of-plane electric polarization states, our findings offer a pathway for reconfigurable nano- and micro-electromechanical devices.