Flat bands on 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. In this work, 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.Notably, 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". Moreover, the rotational symmetry of the system with zero field displays different characteristics. Our findings emphasize the distinctive role of zero-field conditions, where interactions that are short-range in real space manifest as highly long-range within the flat band, and the modifications introduced by band mixing are particularly pronounced. Importantly, We propose a preliminary experimental setup to explore the unique properties of zero-field flat bands on spherical substrates.While this approach remains hypothetical, the parameters involved are within current technological reach, suggesting the potential feasibility of realizing such a system.