English

Instant prediction of relaxation in moir\'{e} superlattices using neural networks

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks 2025-09-17 v1

Abstract

The relaxation of moir\'e superlattices in twisted bilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has been modeled using a set of neural-network-based approaches. We implemented and compared several architectures, including (i) an interpolator combined with an autoencoder, (ii) an interpolator combined with a decoder, (iii) a direct generator mapping input parameters to displacement fields, and (iv) a physics-informed neural network (PINN). Among these, the direct generator architecture demonstrated the best performance, achieving machine-level precision with minimal training data. Remarkably, once trained, this simple fully connected network is able to predict the full displacement field of a moir\'e bilayer within a fraction of a second, whereas conventional continuum simulations require hours or even days. This finding highlights the low-dimensional nature of the relaxation process and establishes neural networks as a practical and efficient alternative to ab initio approaches for rapid modeling and high-throughput screening of 2D twisted heterostructures.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2509.13147,
  title  = {Instant prediction of relaxation in moir\'{e} superlattices using neural networks},
  author = {Aleksei V. Belonovskii and Elizaveta I. Girshova and Erkki Lähderanta and Mikhail Kaliteevski},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.13147},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

18 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, intended for submission to a peer-reviewed journal