Flat bands, edge states and possible topological phases in a branching fractal

Abstract: We address the problem of analytically extracting a countable infinity of flat, non-dispersive bands in a periodic array of cells that comprise branching Vicsek geometries of higher and higher generations. Through a geometric construction, followed by an exact real space renormalization scheme we unravel clusters of compact localized states, corresponding to densely packed groups of flat bands, sometimes in close proximity with the dispersive ones, as the unit cells accommodate Vicsek fractal motifs of higher and higher generations. In such periodic arrays, energy bands close and open at energies that can be calculated exactly, and the precise correlation between the overlap integrals describing the tight binding systems can be worked out. The possibility of a topological phase transition is pointed out through an explicit construction of the edge states, weakly protected against disorder, though it is argued that the typical bulk-boundary correspondence is not holding good in such cases.