Building flat-band lattice models from Gram matrices

Abstract

We propose a powerful and convenient method to systematically design flat-band lattice models, which overcomes the difficulties underlying the previous method. Especially, our method requires no elaborate calculations, applies to arbitrary spatial dimensions, and guarantees to result in a completely flat ground band. We use this method to generate several classes of lattice models, including models with both short- and long-range hoppings, both topologically trivial and non-trivial flat bands. Some of these models were previously known. Our method, however, provides crucial new insights. For example, we have reproduced and generalized the Kapit-Mueller model [Kapit and Mueller, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{105}, 215303 (2010)] and demonstrated a universal scaling rule between the flat band degeneracy and the magnetic flux that was not noticed in previous studies. We show that the flat band of this model results from the (over-)completeness properties of coherent states.