Can we study the many-body localisation transition? (Vol. 51, No. 2)

An interacting quantum system experiencing strong disorder can undergo a transition into a non-thermalising phase: an effect known as many-body localisation (MBL).

Delocalisation transition is understood to be driven by the hybridisation of resonant many-body configurations which can only form above a certain length scale. Experimental efforts are hindered by the finite lifetimes of the system, so one cannot truly distinguish localisation from very slow dynamics. In this letter the length- and timescales required to observe thermalisation, and how they grow when approaching the MBL transition from the delocalised side are studied. The results suggest that reliably characterising the transition’s critical properties is beyond the reach of current experimental and numerical techniques.

R. K. Panda et al, Can we study the many-body localisation transition?, EPL 128 67003 (2019)
[Abstract]