Flat bands and temperature-driven phase transition in quasi-one-dimensional zigzag chains

Abstract

Flat-band materials have garnered extensive attention due to their captivating properties associated with strong correlation effects. While flat bands have been discovered in several types of 2D materials, their existence in 1D systems remains elusive. Here, we propose a 1D frustrated lattice, specifically the 1D zigzag lattice, as a platform for hosting flat bands. This lattice can be experimentally realized by growing CuTe chains on Cu(111). The presence of flat bands was confirmed by tight-binding model analysis, first-principles calculations, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements. In addition, we discovered a temperature-driven phase transition at approximately 250 K. Detailed analyses demonstrate that the system has a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid behavior, accompanied by spin-charge separation effects. Our work unveils new prospects for investigating strongly correlated electron behaviors and topological properties in the 1D limit.