In this paper we introduce parity-time- $(\mathcal{PT}$-) symmetric perturbation to a one-dimensional Lieb lattice, which is otherwise $\mathcal{P}$ symmetric and has a flat band. In the flat band there is a multitude of degenerate dark states and the degeneracy $N$ increases with the system size. We show that the degeneracy in the flat band is completely lifted due to the non-Hermitian perturbation in general, but it is partially maintained with the half-gain–half-loss perturbation and its $\mathsf{V}$ variant that we consider. With these perturbations, we show that both randomly positioned states and pinned states at the symmetry plane in the flat band can undergo thresholdless $\mathcal{PT}$ breaking. They are distinguished by their different rates of acquiring non-Hermicity as the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric perturbation grows, which are insensitive to the system size. Using a degenerate perturbation theory, we derive analytically the rate for the pinned states, whose spatial profiles are also insensitive to the system size. Finally, we find that the presence of weak disorder has a strong effect on modes in the dispersive bands but not on those in the flat band. The latter respond in completely different ways to the growing $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric perturbation, depending on whether they are randomly positioned or pinned.

• Received 31 July 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.92.052103