Time-Reversal Selection Rule for Twist Disorder
Abstract
Random layer rotations are ubiquitous in layered matter, from turbostratic films to rotationally disordered crystals, and strongly suppress transport across the layers. Generated by a symmetry operation, this disorder is absent on the rotation axis, so the thickness laws of conduction are set by how fast backscattering vanishes there. We show that a time-reversal selection rule decides this: each twist harmonic of the interlayer bond is either a frame rotation, whose backscattering cancels, or a coupling change, which scatters. A zero-set theorem turns the rule into universal thickness laws for electrons and phonons, fixed by band-edge symmetry; random twist increments rescale the backscattering but keep its order. Where the axis is unprotected, band nodes provide a second route: a transparent energy with heavy-tailed disorder and an N−3 law. A first-principles forward-channel model of black phosphorus shows both routes; its random-twist films act as a symmetry filter that, relative to aligned stacks, retains a hundred times more of the electron than of the hole conductance at 64 layers. The symmetry of band edges and phonon branches thus decides what crosses a disordered stack, making stacking disorder a design element.
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BibTeX
@misc{kang2026timereversal,
title = {{Time-Reversal Selection Rule for Twist Disorder}},
author = {Peng Kang and Da Wan and Shulin Bai and Pengfei Zhang and Vincent Michaud-Rioux and Zhen Li and Yu Liu and Lei Zheng and Li-Dong Zhao and Huibin Xu},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.06943},
eprint = {2610.06943},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.06943},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Time-Reversal Selection Rule for Twist Disorder
AU - Peng Kang
AU - Da Wan
AU - Shulin Bai
AU - Pengfei Zhang
AU - Vincent Michaud-Rioux
AU - Zhen Li
AU - Yu Liu
AU - Lei Zheng
AU - Li-Dong Zhao
AU - Huibin Xu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/03
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.06943
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.06943
AB - Random layer rotations are ubiquitous in layered matter, from turbostratic films to rotationally disordered crystals, and strongly suppress transport across the layers. Generated by a symmetry operation, this disorder is absent on the rotation axis, so the thickness laws of conduction are set by how fast backscattering vanishes there. We show that a time-reversal selection rule decides this: each twist harmonic of the interlayer bond is either a frame rotation, whose backscattering cancels, or a coupling change, which scatters. A zero-set theorem turns the rule into universal thickness laws for electrons and phonons, fixed by band-edge symmetry; random twist increments rescale the backscattering but keep its order. Where the axis is unprotected, band nodes provide a second route: a transparent energy with heavy-tailed disorder and an N^−3 law. A first-principles forward-channel model of black phosphorus shows both routes; its random-twist films act as a symmetry filter that, relative to aligned stacks, retains a hundred times more of the electron than of the hole conductance at 64 layers. The symmetry of band edges and phonon branches thus decides what crosses a disordered stack, making stacking disorder a design element.
ER -