Nontrivial flat bands and quantum Hall crossovers in square-octagon lattice materials

TL;DR

This paper explores how intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and magnetic flux influence topological phases and flat bands in square-octagon lattice materials, revealing new quantum Hall states and potential for correlated topological phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces tight-binding models with SOC and magnetic flux for the square-octagon lattice, uncovering novel topological phases and the evolution of flat bands into quasi-flat, topologically nontrivial bands.

Findings

Discovery of quantum spin Hall phase with $C_s=1$

Identification of quantum anomalous Hall phases with $C=1$ and $C=2$

Flat bands evolve into quasi-flat, topologically nontrivial bands

Abstract

Coexistence of nontrivial topology and flat electronic bands in low-energy lattices provides a fertile platform for correlated quantum states. The square-octagon lattice hosts Dirac nodes and flat bands at half-filling, yet the influence of intrinsic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and staggered magnetic flux on its topological and flat-band properties remains largely unexplored. Here, we examine this lattice using tight-binding models that include SOC and magnetic flux, uncovering a quantum spin Hall phase with spin Chern number $C_s=1$, crossovers to quantum anomalous Hall phases with $C=1$ and $C=2$, and higher-order topological insulator phases carrying quantized quadrupolar corner charges. The initially dispersionless flat bands evolve into quasi-flat, topologically nontrivial bands with uniform quantum geometry and large flatness ratios, conducive to fractional Chern insulator states. We further identify realistic material candidates, including octagraphene, transition-metal dichalcogenides, synthetic $\mathrm{MoSi_2N_4}$, and magnetic $\alpha$-MnO$_2$, as potential candidates for realizing tunable topological phases intertwined with flat-band physics, opening new opportunities for correlated topological matter.