Lamplighters admit weakly aperiodic SFTs

Abstract

Let $A$ be a finite set and $G$ a group. A closed subset $X$ of $A^G$ is called a subshift if the action of $G$ on $A^G$ preserves $X$. If $K$ is a closed subset of $A^G$ such that membership in $K$ is determined by looking at a fixed finite set of coordinates, and $X$ is the intersection of all translates of $K$ under the action of $G$, then $X$ is called a subshift of finite type (SFT). If an SFT is nonempty and contains no finite $G$-orbits, it is said to be weakly aperiodic. A virtually cyclic group has no weakly aperiodic SFT, and Carroll and Penland have conjectured that a group with no weakly aperiodic SFT must be virtually cyclic. Answering a question of Jeandel, we show that lamplighters always admit weakly aperiodic SFTs.