Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry

Abstract Novel paradigms of strong ergodicity breaking have recently attracted significant attention in condensed matter physics. Understanding the exact conditions required for their emergence or breakdown not only sheds more light on thermalization and its absence in closed quantum many-body syste...

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Main Authors: Benedikt Kloss, Jad C. Halimeh, Achilleas Lazarides, Yevgeny Bar Lev
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2023-06-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39468-4
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author Benedikt Kloss
Jad C. Halimeh
Achilleas Lazarides
Yevgeny Bar Lev
author_facet Benedikt Kloss
Jad C. Halimeh
Achilleas Lazarides
Yevgeny Bar Lev
author_sort Benedikt Kloss
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Novel paradigms of strong ergodicity breaking have recently attracted significant attention in condensed matter physics. Understanding the exact conditions required for their emergence or breakdown not only sheds more light on thermalization and its absence in closed quantum many-body systems, but it also has potential benefits for applications in quantum information technology. A case of particular interest is many-body localization whose conditions are not yet fully settled. Here, we prove that spin chains symmetric under a combination of mirror and spin-flip symmetries and with a non-degenerate spectrum show finite spin transport at zero total magnetization and infinite temperature. We demonstrate this numerically using two prominent examples: the Stark many-body localization system (Stark-MBL) and the symmetrized many-body localization system (symmetrized–MBL). We provide evidence of delocalization at all energy densities and show that delocalization persists when the symmetry is broken. We use our results to construct two localized systems which, when coupled, delocalize each other. Our work demonstrates the dramatic effect symmetries can have on disordered systems, proves that the existence of exact resonances is not a sufficient condition for delocalization, and opens the door to generalization to higher spatial dimensions and different conservation laws.
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spelling doaj.art-1055715f00cf4998a5be4029f71a6db72023-06-25T11:22:29ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-06-011411610.1038/s41467-023-39468-4Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetryBenedikt Kloss0Jad C. Halimeh1Achilleas Lazarides2Yevgeny Bar Lev3Center for Computational Quantum Physics, Flatiron InstituteDepartment of Physics and Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenInterdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Department of Mathematical Sciences, Loughborough UniversityDepartment of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevAbstract Novel paradigms of strong ergodicity breaking have recently attracted significant attention in condensed matter physics. Understanding the exact conditions required for their emergence or breakdown not only sheds more light on thermalization and its absence in closed quantum many-body systems, but it also has potential benefits for applications in quantum information technology. A case of particular interest is many-body localization whose conditions are not yet fully settled. Here, we prove that spin chains symmetric under a combination of mirror and spin-flip symmetries and with a non-degenerate spectrum show finite spin transport at zero total magnetization and infinite temperature. We demonstrate this numerically using two prominent examples: the Stark many-body localization system (Stark-MBL) and the symmetrized many-body localization system (symmetrized–MBL). We provide evidence of delocalization at all energy densities and show that delocalization persists when the symmetry is broken. We use our results to construct two localized systems which, when coupled, delocalize each other. Our work demonstrates the dramatic effect symmetries can have on disordered systems, proves that the existence of exact resonances is not a sufficient condition for delocalization, and opens the door to generalization to higher spatial dimensions and different conservation laws.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39468-4
spellingShingle Benedikt Kloss
Jad C. Halimeh
Achilleas Lazarides
Yevgeny Bar Lev
Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry
Nature Communications
title Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry
title_full Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry
title_fullStr Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry
title_full_unstemmed Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry
title_short Absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry
title_sort absence of localization in interacting spin chains with a discrete symmetry
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39468-4
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