Strain-induced pseudo magnetic field in the α-T3 lattice

We investigate the effects of nonuniform uniaxial strain and triaxial strain on the α-T3 lattice. The analytical expressions of the pseudo-Landau levels (pLLs) are derived based on low-energy Hamiltonians, and are verified by tight-binding calculations. We find that the pseudo magnetic field leads to oscillating density of states, and the first pLL is sublattice polarized, which is distributed on only two of the three sets of sublattices. For nonuniform uniaxial strain, we show that pLLs become dispersive due to renormalization of the Fermi velocity, and a valley polarized current emerges. Our results generalize the study of pseudo magnetic fields to the α-T3 lattice, which will not only deepen the understanding of the intriguing effects of mechanical strains but also provide a theoretical foundation for possible experimental studies of the effects of strain on the α-T3 lattice.