Spectroscopic evidence of correlation and band flattening in twisted bilayer MoTe₂

Twisted bilayer MoTe₂ (tMoTe₂) is an emergent platform for exploring exotic quantum phases driven by the interplay between nontrivial band topology and strong electron correlations. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we directly map the momentum-resolved band structure of tMoTe₂ across a series of small twist angles, revealing distinct angle-dependent band reconstruction shaped by orbital character, interlayer coupling, and moiré potential modulation. This reconstruction manifests most clearly in the K-valley effective mass, which exhibits a non-monotonic evolution with twist angle, peaking near 2°, consistent with the predicted magic-angle band flattening. Complementary electrostatic gating and surface dosing further reveal the conduction band minimum, confirming tMoTe₂ as a direct band gap semiconductor. These results establish a spectroscopic foundation for modeling and engineering emergent quantum phases in this moiré platform [1].