Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitals

Abstract Flat bands result in a divergent density of states and high sensitivity to interactions in physical systems. While such bands are well known in systems under magnetic fields, their realization and behavior in zero-field settings remain largely unexplored. Here we compare the behavior of ele...

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Main Authors: Chen-Xin Jiang, Zi-Xiang Hu, Bo Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Communications Physics
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02208-9
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author Chen-Xin Jiang
Zi-Xiang Hu
Bo Yang
author_facet Chen-Xin Jiang
Zi-Xiang Hu
Bo Yang
author_sort Chen-Xin Jiang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Flat bands result in a divergent density of states and high sensitivity to interactions in physical systems. While such bands are well known in systems under magnetic fields, their realization and behavior in zero-field settings remain largely unexplored. Here we compare the behavior of electrons confined to a single flat band on the surface of a sphere to those in flat bands under a magnetic field. The zero-field flat band exhibits an additional C(2) symmetry, which causes electrons to symmetrically cluster on opposite sides of the sphere’s center when a trapping potential is introduced, resulting in a unique form of long-range “entanglement”. To explore these findings experimentally, we propose a feasible setup to explore the unique properties of zero-field flat bands on spherical substrates, offering a promising route for studying interaction-driven states in spherical geometry without external fields.
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spelling doaj-art-dca0cff44ea2494789f5aa8dd075321c2025-08-20T03:05:03ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-07-01811810.1038/s42005-025-02208-9Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitalsChen-Xin Jiang0Zi-Xiang Hu1Bo Yang2Department of Physics, Chongqing UniversityDepartment of Physics, Chongqing UniversityDivision of Physics and Applied Physics, Nanyang Technological UniversityAbstract Flat bands result in a divergent density of states and high sensitivity to interactions in physical systems. While such bands are well known in systems under magnetic fields, their realization and behavior in zero-field settings remain largely unexplored. Here we compare the behavior of electrons confined to a single flat band on the surface of a sphere to those in flat bands under a magnetic field. The zero-field flat band exhibits an additional C(2) symmetry, which causes electrons to symmetrically cluster on opposite sides of the sphere’s center when a trapping potential is introduced, resulting in a unique form of long-range “entanglement”. To explore these findings experimentally, we propose a feasible setup to explore the unique properties of zero-field flat bands on spherical substrates, offering a promising route for studying interaction-driven states in spherical geometry without external fields.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02208-9
spellingShingle Chen-Xin Jiang
Zi-Xiang Hu
Bo Yang
Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitals
Communications Physics
title Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitals
title_full Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitals
title_fullStr Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitals
title_full_unstemmed Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitals
title_short Flat bands on a spherical surface from Landau levels to giant-quantum-number orbitals
title_sort flat bands on a spherical surface from landau levels to giant quantum number orbitals
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02208-9
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AT boyang flatbandsonasphericalsurfacefromlandaulevelstogiantquantumnumberorbitals