English

How does a locally constrained quantum system localize?

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks 2018-08-30 v2 Quantum Gases Statistical Mechanics

Abstract

At low energy, the dynamics of excitations of many physical systems are locally constrained. Examples include frustrated anti-ferromagnets, fractional quantum Hall fluids and Rydberg atoms in the blockaded regime. Can such locally constrained systems be fully many-body localized (MBL)? In this article, we answer this question affirmatively and elucidate the structure of the accompanying quasi-local integrals of motion. By studying disordered spin chains subject to a projection constraint in the zz-direction, we show that full MBL is stable at strong zz-field disorder and identify a new mechanism of localization through resonance at strong transverse disorder. However MBL is not guaranteed; the constraints can `frustrate' the tendency of the spins to align with the transverse fields and lead to full thermalization or criticality. We further provide evidence that the transition is discontinuous in local observables with large sample-to-sample variations. Our study has direct consequences for current quench experiments in Rydberg atomic chains.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1709.04067,
  title  = {How does a locally constrained quantum system localize?},
  author = {Chun Chen and Fiona Burnell and Anushya Chandran},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1709.04067},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

Shortened version with updated references; 4 pages, 7 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-22T21:41:04.774Z