Flat Bands Under Correlated Perturbations

Abstract: Flat band networks are characterized by coexistence of dispersive and flat bands. Flat bands (FB) are generated by compact localized eigenstates (CLS) with local network symmetries, based on destructive interference. Correlated disorder and quasiperiodic potentials hybridize CLS without additional renormalization, yet with surprising consequencies: (i) states are expelled from the FB energy $E_{FB}$, (ii) the localization length of eigenstates vanishes as $\xi \sim 1 / \ln (E- E_{FB})$, (iii) the density of states diverges logarithmically (particle-hole symmetry) and algebraically (no particle-hole symmetry), (iv) mobility edge curves show algebraic singularities at $E_{FB}$. Our analytical results are based on perturbative expansions of the CLS, and supported by numerical data in one and two lattice dimensions.