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arXiv:2507.22586

Random matrix theory of charge distribution in disordered quantum impurity models

Maxime Debertolis, Serge Florens

Published Jul 30, 2025• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We introduce a bare-bone random matrix quantum impurity model, by hybridizing a localized spinless electronic level with a bath of random fermions in the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (GOE). While stripped out of correlations effects, this model reproduces some salient features of the impurity charge distribution obtained in previous works on interacting disordered impurity models. Computing by numerical sampling the impurity charge distribution in our model, we find a crossover from a Gaussian distribution (centered on half a charge unit) at large hybridization, to a bimodal distribution (centered both on zero and full occupations of the charge) at small hybridization. In the bimodal regime, a universal $(-3/2)$ power-law is also observed. All these findings are very well accounted for by an analytic surmise computed with a single random electron level in the bath. We also derive an exact functional integral for the general probability distribution function of eigenvalues and eigenstates, that formally captures the statistical behavior of our model for any number $N$ of fermionic orbitals in the bath. In the Gaussian regime and in the limit $N\to\infty$, we are able to solve exactly the random matrix theory (RMT) for the charge distribution, obtaining perfect agreement with the numerics. Our results could be tested experimentally in mesoscopic devices, for instance by coupling a small quantum dot to a chaotic electronic reservoir, and using a quantum point contact as local charge sensor for the quantum dot occupation.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2507.22586

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The full spectrum of a single hole in a quantum antiferromagnetic background (t-Jz{\mathit{J}}_{\mathit{z}}Jz​-${\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$ model) is obtained by complete exact diagonalization of small two-dimensional clusters. Various statistical properties of the spectrum are investigated. On a very wide range of the parameters the level-spacing distribution follows Gaussian-orthogonal-ensemble Wigner law characteristic of chaotic spectra. At small separation, the spectral rigidity follows the universal behavior described by random-matrix theory and presents deviations at higher energies. We argue that quantum chaos is a generic feature of complex (i.e., nonintegrable) strongly correlated fermion systems. Our results suggest that random-matrix theory might be useful to investigate the incoherent part of dynamical correlation functions (such as the hole spectral density or the spin structure factor).
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Local moment formation is ubiquitous in disordered semiconductors such as Si:P, where it is observed both in the metallic and the insulating regimes. Here, we focus on local moment behavior in disordered insulators, which arises from short-ranged, repulsive electron-electron interactions. Using density matrix renormalization group and strong-disorder renormalization group methods, we study paradigmatic models of interacting insulators: one-dimensional Hubbard chains with quenched randomness. In chains with either random fermion hoppings or random chemical potentials, both at and away from half-filling, we find exponential decay of disorder-averaged charge and fermion two-point correlations, but power-law decay of disorder-averaged spin correlations that are indicative of the random singlet phase. The numerical results can be understood qualitatively by appealing to the large-interaction limit of the Hubbard chain, in which a remarkably simple picture emerges.