Synthetic 2D quantum materials from atomic weaving of 1D nanoribbons
Abstract
The bottom-up van der Waals (vdW) assembly of quantum materials from low-dimensional building blocks provides a flexible and structurally defined route for designing materials with tailored quantum properties. While stacking two-dimensional (2D) vdW materials has yielded highly tunable platforms for emergent topological and correlated phenomena and has opened pathways toward three-dimensional (3D) layered architectures with extensive lateral design flexibility, the bottom-up vdW assembly of other low-dimensional materials remains largely unexplored. Here, we propose an atomic-scale Lego construction strategy that assembles 2D materials from 1D nanoribbons, embedding design freedom at the structural level through atomic-scale control over lattice geometry, stacking, and edge configuration. Using graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) as a prototype, we develop a general weaving approach that interlaces flat or curved ribbons into stable, periodic 2D networks-analogous to stacking 2D sheets into 3D crystals, but instead progressing from 1D elements to 2D architectures. The resulting woven GNRs (w-GNRs) exhibit geometry-dependent electronic behavior: ribbon width determines the band gap, while inter-ribbon spacing controls the bandwidth and leads to flat-band formation near the Fermi level. By weaving curved ribbons, we construct kagome and square lattice configurations that host symmetry-protected flat bands and orbital degeneracies. This atomic Lego framework enables scalable construction of artificial 2D materials from 1D components, expanding the design space for highly tunable 2D systems with emergent quantum properties.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026synthetic,
title = {{Synthetic 2D quantum materials from atomic weaving of 1D nanoribbons}},
author = {Xin Wang and Qiaoling Xu and Dongdong An and Tao Zhang and Lanting Shi and Xianliang Zhou and Bo Lin and Kaiwei Wan and Zhuqin Zhang and Majeed Ur Rehman and Lede Xian},
journal = {Communications Physics},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1038/s42005-026-02936-6},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-026-02936-6},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Synthetic 2D quantum materials from atomic weaving of 1D nanoribbons
AU - Xin Wang
AU - Qiaoling Xu
AU - Dongdong An
AU - Tao Zhang
AU - Lanting Shi
AU - Xianliang Zhou
AU - Bo Lin
AU - Kaiwei Wan
AU - Zhuqin Zhang
AU - Majeed Ur Rehman
AU - Lede Xian
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Communications Physics
DO - 10.1038/s42005-026-02936-6
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-026-02936-6
AB - The bottom-up van der Waals (vdW) assembly of quantum materials from low-dimensional building blocks provides a flexible and structurally defined route for designing materials with tailored quantum properties. While stacking two-dimensional (2D) vdW materials has yielded highly tunable platforms for emergent topological and correlated phenomena and has opened pathways toward three-dimensional (3D) layered architectures with extensive lateral design flexibility, the bottom-up vdW assembly of other low-dimensional materials remains largely unexplored. Here, we propose an atomic-scale Lego construction strategy that assembles 2D materials from 1D nanoribbons, embedding design freedom at the structural level through atomic-scale control over lattice geometry, stacking, and edge configuration. Using graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) as a prototype, we develop a general weaving approach that interlaces flat or curved ribbons into stable, periodic 2D networks-analogous to stacking 2D sheets into 3D crystals, but instead progressing from 1D elements to 2D architectures. The resulting woven GNRs (w-GNRs) exhibit geometry-dependent electronic behavior: ribbon width determines the band gap, while inter-ribbon spacing controls the bandwidth and leads to flat-band formation near the Fermi level. By weaving curved ribbons, we construct kagome and square lattice configurations that host symmetry-protected flat bands and orbital degeneracies. This atomic Lego framework enables scalable construction of artificial 2D materials from 1D components, expanding the design space for highly tunable 2D systems with emergent quantum properties.
SN - 2399-3650
ER -