Theoretical Possibilities for Flat Band Superconductivity

One novel arena for designing superconductors with high T_C is the flat band system. A basic idea is that flat bands, arising from quantum mechanical interference, give unique opportunities for enhancing T_C with (i) many pair-scattering channels between the dispersive and flat bands, and (ii) an even more interesting situation when the flat band is topological and highly entangled. Here, we compare two routes, which comprise a multi-band system with a flat band coexisting with dispersive ones, and a one-band case with a portion of the band being flat. Superconductivity can be induced in both cases when the flat band or portion is "incipient" (close to, but away from, the Fermi energy). Differences are, for the multi-band case, we can exploit large entanglement associated with topological states, while for the one-band case a transition between different (d and p) wave pairings can arise. These hint at some future directions.