Fractal spectrum in twisted bilayer optical lattice
Abstract
The translation symmetry of a lattice is greatly modified when subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field [Zak, Phys. Rev. 134, A1602 (1964)]. This change in symmetry can lead to magnetic unit cells that are substantially larger than the original ones. Similarly, the translation properties of a double-layered lattice alters drastically while two monolayers are relatively twisted by a small angle, resulting in large-scale moir\'e unit cells. Intrigued by the resemblance, we calculate the complete band structures of a twisted bilayer optical lattice and show that the geometric moir\'e effect can induce fractal band structures. The fractals are controlled by the twist angle between two monolayers and are closely connected to the celebrated butterfly spectrum of two-dimensional Bloch electrons in a magnetic field [Hofstadter, Phys. Rev. B 14, 2239 (1976)]. We demonstrate this by proving that the twisted bilayer optical lattice can be mapped to a generalized Hofstadter's model with long-range hopping. Furthermore, we provide numerical evidence on the infinite recursive structures of the spectrum and give an algorithm for computing these structures.
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