Rauzy fractals with countable fundamental group

Abstract

We prove that every free group of finite rank can be realized as the fundamental group of a planar Rauzy fractal associated with a 4-letter unimodular cubic Pisot substitution. This characterizes all countable fundamental groups for planar Rauzy fractals. We give an explicit construction relying on two operations on substitutions: symbolic splittings and conjugations by free group automorphisms.