# Synthetic Gauge Fields for Lattices with Multi-Orbital Unit Cells: Routes towards a $\pi$-flux Dice Lattice with Flat Bands

Möller, Gunnar, Cooper, Nigel R (2018) Synthetic Gauge Fields for Lattices with Multi-Orbital Unit Cells: Routes towards a $\pi$-flux Dice Lattice with Flat Bands. New Journal of Physics, 20 . ISSN 1367-2630. E-ISSN 1367-2630. (doi:10.1088/1367-2630/aad134) (KAR id:67551)

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## Abstract

We propose a general strategy for generating synthetic magnetic fields in complex lattices with non-trivial connectivity based on light-matter coupling in cold atomic gases. Our approach starts from an underlying optical flux lattice in which a synthetic magnetic field is generated by coupling several internal states. Starting from a high symmetry optical flux lattice, we superpose a scalar potential with a super- or sublattice period in order to eliminate links between the original lattice sites. As an alternative to changing connectivity, the approach can also be used to create or remove lattice sites from the underlying parent lattice. To demonstrate our concept, we consider the dice lattice geometry as an explicit example, and construct a dice lattice with a flux density of half a flux quantum per plaquette, providing a pathway to flat bands with a large band gap. While the intuition for our proposal stems from the analysis of deep optical lattices, we demonstrate that the approach is robust even for shallow optical flux lattices far from the tight-binding limit.

We also provide an alternative experimental proposal to realise a synthetic gauge field in a fully frustrated dice lattice based on laser-induced hoppings along individual bonds of the lattice, again involving a superlattice potential. In this approach, atoms with a long-lived excited state are trapped using an 'anti-magic' wavelength of light, allowing the desired complex hopping elements to be induced in a specific laser coupling scheme for the dice lattice geometry.

We conclude by comparing the complexity of these alternative approaches, and advocate that complex optical flux lattices provide the more elegant and easily generalisable strategy.

Item Type: Article 10.1088/1367-2630/aad134 [UNSPECIFIED] Simulating strong correlations in unconventionally ordered systems Physics of Quantum Materials Q Science > QC Physics > QC176 Solid state physicsQ Science > QC Physics > QC174.12 Quantum theoryQ Science > QC Physics > QC411 Interference Faculties > Sciences > School of Physical Sciences > Functional Materials Group Gunnar Moeller 02 Jul 2018 11:44 UTC 12 Jul 2019 11:29 UTC https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/67551 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8986-0899