Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1505.07089 · Physical Review B

Dynamics of many-body localization in a translation-invariant quantum glass model

Merlijn van Horssen, Emanuele Levi, Juan P. Garrahan

Published Sep 28, 2015• 155 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The authors present evidence of many-body localization in a translationally invariant model Hamiltonian. The model, Ising-like, arises in the study of quantum glasses. The authors show that this model exhibits two regimes: one of fast relaxation and one of slow relaxation with dynamical features typically associated with many-body localized phases.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.92.100305

Related papers

Dynamics in many-body localized quantum systems without disorder

Mauro Schiulaz, Alessandro Silva, Markus Müller

We study the relaxation dynamics of strongly interacting quantum systems that display a kind of many-body localization in spite of their translation-invariant Hamiltonian. We show that dynamics starting from a random initial configuration is nonperturbatively slow in the hopping strength, and potentially genuinely nonergodic in the thermodynamic limit. In finite systems with periodic boundary conditions, density relaxation takes place in two stages, which are separated by a long out-of-equilibrium plateau whose duration diverges exponentially with the system size. We estimate the phase boundary of this quantum glass phase, and discuss the role of local resonant configurations. We suggest experimental realizations and methods to observe the discussed nonergodic dynamics.

arXiv:1410.4690•Physical Review B•May 6, 2015•139 citations

Ideal quantum glass transitions: many-body localization without quenched disorder

Mauro Schiulaz, Markus Müller

We explore the possibility for translationally invariant quantum many-body systems to undergo a dynamical glass transition, at which ergodicity and translational invariance break down spontaneously, driven entirely by quantum effects. In contrast to analogous classical systems, where the existence of such an ideal glass transition remains a controversial issue, a genuine phase transition is predicted in the quantum regime. This ideal quantum glass tran-sition can be regarded as a many-body localization transition due to self-generated disorder. Despite their lack of thermalization, these disorder-free quantum glasses do not possess an extensive set of local conserved operators, unlike what is conjectured for many-body localized systems with strong quenched disorder. 1

•Aug 16, 2016•68 citations

Ideal quantum glass transitions: Many-body localization without quenched disorder

M. Schiulaz, M. Müller

We explore the possibility for translationally invariant quantum many-body systems to undergo a dynamical glass transition, at which ergodicity and translational invariance break down spontaneously, driven entirely by quantum effects.In contrast to analogous classical systems, where the existence of such an ideal glass transition remains a controversial issue, a genuine phase transition is predicted in the quantum regime.This ideal quantum glass transition can be regarded as a manybody localization transition due to self-generated disorder.Despite their lack of thermalization, these disorder-free quantum glasses do not possess an extensive set of local conserved operators, unlike what is conjectured for many-body localized systems with strong quenched disorder.

arXiv:1309.1082•AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2014•67 citations

Slow dynamics in translation-invariant quantum lattice models

Alexios A. Michailidis, Marko Žnidarič, Mariya V. Medvedyeva +3 more

Many-body quantum systems typically display fast dynamics and ballistic spreading of information. Here we address the open problem of how slow the dynamics can be after a generic breaking of integrability by local interactions. We develop a method based on degenerate perturbation theory that reveals slow dynamical regimes and delocalization processes in general translation invariant models, along with accurate estimates of their delocalization time scales. Our results shed light on the fundamental questions of the robustness of quantum integrable systems and the possibility of many-body localization without disorder. As an example, we construct a large class of one-dimensional lattice models where, despite the absence of asymptotic localization, the transient dynamics is exceptionally slow, i.e., the dynamics is indistinguishable from that of many-body localized systems for the system sizes and time scales accessible in experiments and numerical simulations.

arXiv:1706.05026•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Mar 19, 2018•42 citations

Scenario for delocalization in translation-invariant systems

Wojciech De Roeck, François Huveneers

We investigate the possibility of many-body localization in translation-invariant Hamiltonian systems, which was recently brought up by several authors. A key feature of many-body localized disordered systems is recovered, namely the fact that resonant spots are rare and far-between. However, we point out that resonant spots are mobile, unlike in models with strong quenched disorder, and that these mobile spots constitute a possible mechanism for delocalization, albeit possibly only on very long timescales. In some models, this argument for delocalization can be made very explicit in first order of perturbation theory in the hopping. For models where this does not work, we present instead a nonperturbative argument that relies solely on ergodicity inside the resonant spots.

arXiv:1405.3279•Physical Review B•Oct 28, 2014•84 citations

Quasi-Many-Body Localization in Translation-Invariant Systems

Norman Y. Yao, Chris R. Laumann, J. I. Cirac +2 more

We examine localization phenomena associated with generic, high entropy, states of a translation-invariant, one-dimensional spin ladder. At early times, we find slow growth of entanglement entropy consistent with the known phenomenology of many-body localization in disordered, interacting systems. At intermediate times, however, anomalous diffusion sets in, leading to full spin polarization decay on an exponentially activated time scale. We identify a single length scale which parametrically controls both the spin transport times and the apparent divergence of the susceptibility to spin glass ordering. Ultimately, at the latest times, the exponentially slow anomalous diffusion gives way to diffusive thermal behavior. We dub the intermediate dynamical behavior, which persists over many orders of magnitude in time, quasi-many-body localization.

arXiv:1410.7407•Physical Review Letters•Dec 7, 2016•155 citations
The authors present evidence of many-body localization in a translationally invariant model Hamiltonian. The model, Ising-like, arises in the study of quantum glasses. The authors show that this model exhibits two regimes: one of fast relaxation and one of slow relaxation with dynamical features typically associated with many-body localized phases.
We study the relaxation dynamics of strongly interacting quantum systems that display a kind of many-body localization in spite of their translation-invariant Hamiltonian. We show that dynamics starting from a random initial configuration is nonperturbatively slow in the hopping strength, and potentially genuinely nonergodic in the thermodynamic limit. In finite systems with periodic boundary conditions, density relaxation takes place in two stages, which are separated by a long out-of-equilibrium plateau whose duration diverges exponentially with the system size. We estimate the phase boundary of this quantum glass phase, and discuss the role of local resonant configurations. We suggest experimental realizations and methods to observe the discussed nonergodic dynamics.
We explore the possibility for translationally invariant quantum many-body systems to undergo a dynamical glass transition, at which ergodicity and translational invariance break down spontaneously, driven entirely by quantum effects. In contrast to analogous classical systems, where the existence of such an ideal glass transition remains a controversial issue, a genuine phase transition is predicted in the quantum regime. This ideal quantum glass tran-sition can be regarded as a many-body localization transition due to self-generated disorder. Despite their lack of thermalization, these disorder-free quantum glasses do not possess an extensive set of local conserved operators, unlike what is conjectured for many-body localized systems with strong quenched disorder. 1
We explore the possibility for translationally invariant quantum many-body systems to undergo a dynamical glass transition, at which ergodicity and translational invariance break down spontaneously, driven entirely by quantum effects.In contrast to analogous classical systems, where the existence of such an ideal glass transition remains a controversial issue, a genuine phase transition is predicted in the quantum regime.This ideal quantum glass transition can be regarded as a manybody localization transition due to self-generated disorder.Despite their lack of thermalization, these disorder-free quantum glasses do not possess an extensive set of local conserved operators, unlike what is conjectured for many-body localized systems with strong quenched disorder.
Many-body quantum systems typically display fast dynamics and ballistic spreading of information. Here we address the open problem of how slow the dynamics can be after a generic breaking of integrability by local interactions. We develop a method based on degenerate perturbation theory that reveals slow dynamical regimes and delocalization processes in general translation invariant models, along with accurate estimates of their delocalization time scales. Our results shed light on the fundamental questions of the robustness of quantum integrable systems and the possibility of many-body localization without disorder. As an example, we construct a large class of one-dimensional lattice models where, despite the absence of asymptotic localization, the transient dynamics is exceptionally slow, i.e., the dynamics is indistinguishable from that of many-body localized systems for the system sizes and time scales accessible in experiments and numerical simulations.
We investigate the possibility of many-body localization in translation-invariant Hamiltonian systems, which was recently brought up by several authors. A key feature of many-body localized disordered systems is recovered, namely the fact that resonant spots are rare and far-between. However, we point out that resonant spots are mobile, unlike in models with strong quenched disorder, and that these mobile spots constitute a possible mechanism for delocalization, albeit possibly only on very long timescales. In some models, this argument for delocalization can be made very explicit in first order of perturbation theory in the hopping. For models where this does not work, we present instead a nonperturbative argument that relies solely on ergodicity inside the resonant spots.
We examine localization phenomena associated with generic, high entropy, states of a translation-invariant, one-dimensional spin ladder. At early times, we find slow growth of entanglement entropy consistent with the known phenomenology of many-body localization in disordered, interacting systems. At intermediate times, however, anomalous diffusion sets in, leading to full spin polarization decay on an exponentially activated time scale. We identify a single length scale which parametrically controls both the spin transport times and the apparent divergence of the susceptibility to spin glass ordering. Ultimately, at the latest times, the exponentially slow anomalous diffusion gives way to diffusive thermal behavior. We dub the intermediate dynamical behavior, which persists over many orders of magnitude in time, quasi-many-body localization.