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arXiv:2512.19389

Tree tensor networks for many-body localization in two dimensions

Lars Humpert, Dante Marvin Kennes, Jan-Niklas Herre

Published Dec 22, 2025• 0 citations
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Abstract

We investigate the disordered spin-$\frac12$Heisenberg model in two dimensions and employ tree tensor networks (TTNs) with a physics-informed structural optimization of the tree layout, to simulate dynamics in the many-body localization problem. We find that TTNs are able to capture two-dimensional entanglement patterns more effectively than matrix product states (MPS) while being more efficient to contract than projected entangled pair states (PEPS) to probe larger systems and longer times. Structural optimization of the trees based on time evolution of the entanglement in the system allows to keep the necessary bond dimensions low and to maximally exploit the increased expressiveness of TTNs over MPS. In this way, we achieve more accurate results in all considered parameter regimes both below and above the ergodicity-to-localization crossover at a comparable compute-time cost.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2512.19389

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Abstract We propose the entanglement bipartitioning approach to design an optimal network structure of the tree tensor network (TTN) for quantum many-body systems. Given an exact ground-state wavefunction, we perform sequential bipartitioning of spin-cluster nodes so as to minimize the mutual information or the maximum loss of the entanglement entropy associated with the branch to be bipartitioned. We demonstrate that entanglement bipartitioning of up to 16 sites gives rise to nontrivial tree network structures for S = 1/2 Heisenberg models in one and two dimensions. The resulting TTNs enable us to obtain better variational energies, compared with standard TTNs such as the uniform matrix product state and perfect binary tree tensor network.
Tensor network states are an indispensable tool for the simulation of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems. In recent years, tree tensor network states (TTNS) have been successfully used for two-dimensional systems and to benchmark quantum simulation approaches for condensed matter, nuclear, and particle physics. In comparison to the more traditional approach based on matrix product states (MPS), the graph distance of physical degrees of freedom can be drastically reduced in TTNS. Surprisingly, it turns out that, for large systems in D>1D>1D>1 spatial dimensions, MPS simulations of low-energy states are nevertheless more efficient than TTNS simulations. With a focus on D=2D=2D=2 and 3, the scaling of computational costs for different boundary conditions is determined under the assumption that the system obeys an entanglement (log-)area law, implying that bond dimensions scale exponentially in the surface area of the associated subsystems.
Tensor networks provide a powerful and elegant approach to quantum manybody simulation. The simplest example is the density matrix renormalisation group (DMRG), which is based on the variational update of a matrix product state (MPS). It has proved to be the most accurate approach for the numerical study of strongly correlated one dimensional systems. We use DMRG to study the one dimensional disordered Bose-Hubbard model at fillings N=L = 1=2, 1 and 2 and show that the whole phase diagram for each can be successfully obtained by analysing entanglement properties alone. We �nd that the average entanglement is insufficient to accurately locate all of the phases, however using the standard error on the mean we are able to construct a phase diagram that is consistent with previous studies. It has recently been shown that there is a connection between the geometry of tensor networks and the entanglement and correlation properties that it can encode, which is a generalisation of the so called area law for entanglement entropy. This suggests that whilst gapped quantum systems can be accurately modeled using an MPS, a tensor network with a holographic geometry is natural to capture the logarithmic entanglement scaling and power law decaying correlation functions of critical systems. We create an algorithm for the disordered Heisenberg Hamiltonian that self assembles a tensor network based on the disorder in the couplings. The geometry created is that of a disordered tree tensor network (TTN) that when averaged has the holographic properties characteristic of critical systems. We continue the analysis of holographic tensor network geometry by considering the average length of leaf-to-leaf paths in various tree graphs, which is related to two-point correlation functions in tensor networks. For regular, complete trees we analytically calculate the average path length and all statistical moments, and generalise it for any splitting number. We then turn to the Catalan trees, which is the set of unique binary trees with n vertices, as it has a similar geometry to the disordered TTNs. We calculate the average depth of a leaf and show that it is equal to the average path length. We compare these analytic results with the structures found in the TTN and randomly constructed trees to show that the renormalisation involved in the TTN algorithm is crucial in the selection of the tree structure.
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The numerical simulation of two-dimensional quantum many-body systems away from equilibrium constitutes a major challenge for all known computational methods. We investigate the utility of tree tensor network (TTN) states to solve the dynamics of the quantum Ising model in two dimensions. Within the perturbative regime of small transverse fields, TTNs faithfully reproduce analytically known, but nontrivial and physically interesting dynamics of magnetic domains, for lattices up to 16 × 16 sites. Limitations of the method related to the rapid growth of entanglement entropy are explored within more general, paradigmatic quench settings. We provide and discuss comprehensive benchmarks regarding the benefit of GPU acceleration and the impact of using local operator sums on the performance.
The tree tensor network (TTN) provides an essential theoretical framework for the practical simulation of quantum many-body systems, where the network structure defined by the connectivity of the isometry tensors plays a crucial role in improving its approximation accuracy. In this paper, we propose a TTN algorithm that enables us to automatically optimize the network structure by local reconnections of isometries to suppress the bipartite entanglement entropy on their legs. The algorithm can be seamlessly implemented to such a conventional TTN approach as the density-matrix renormalization group. We apply the algorithm to the inhomogeneous antiferromagnetic Heisenberg spin chain, having a hierarchical spatial distribution of the interactions. We then demonstrate that the entanglement structure embedded in the ground state of the system can be efficiently visualized as a perfect binary tree in the optimized TTN. Possible improvements and applications of the algorithm are also discussed.