One-dimensional Luttinger liquids in a two-dimensional moiré lattice

The Luttinger liquid (LL) model of one-dimensional (1D) electronic systems provides a powerful tool for understanding strongly correlated physics, including phenomena such as spin–charge separation¹. Substantial theoretical efforts have attempted to extend the LL phenomenology to two dimensions, especially in models of closely packed arrays of 1D quantum wires^2–13, each being described as a LL. Such coupled-wire models have been successfully used to construct two-dimensional (2D) anisotropic non-Fermi liquids^2–6, quantum Hall states^7–9, topological phases^10,11 and quantum spin liquids^12,13. However, an experimental demonstration of high-quality arrays of 1D LLs suitable for realizing these models remains absent. Here we report the experimental realization of 2D arrays of 1D LLs with crystalline quality in a moiré superlattice made of twisted bilayer tungsten ditelluride (tWTe₂). Originating from the anisotropic lattice of the monolayer, the moiré pattern of tWTe₂ hosts identical, parallel 1D electronic channels, separated by a fixed nanoscale distance, which is tuneable by the interlayer twist angle. At a twist angle of approximately 5 degrees, we find that hole-doped tWTe₂ exhibits exceptionally large transport anisotropy with a resistance ratio of around 1,000 between two orthogonal in-plane directions. The across-wire conductance exhibits power-law scaling behaviours, consistent with the formation of a 2D anisotropic phase that resembles an array of LLs. Our results open the door for realizing a variety of correlated and topological quantum phases based on coupled-wire models and LL physics.