Operator Growth in Disordered Spin Chains: Indications for the Absence of Many-Body Localization

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Weisse, A., Gerstner, R., Sirker, J.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866918085524455424
author Weisse, A.
Gerstner, R.
Sirker, J.
author_facet Weisse, A.
Gerstner, R.
Sirker, J.
contents We consider the spreading of a local operator $A$ in one-dimensional systems with Hamiltonian $H$ by calculating the $k$-fold commutator $[H,[H,[...,[H,A]]]]$. We derive bounds for the operator norm of this commutator in free and interacting systems with and without disorder thus directly connecting the operator growth hypothesis with questions of localization. We analytically show that an almost factorial growth of the operator norm - as recently proven for the random Ising model - is inconsistent with an exponential localization of $A$. Assuming that a quasi-local unitary $U$ exists which maps $H$ onto an effective Hamiltonian $\tilde H=UHU^\dagger=\sum_n E_n τ^z_n +\sum_{i,j} J_{ij} τ^z_iτ^z_j+\dots$, we show that $\tilde A=UAU^\dagger$ is a quasi-local operator which in the many-body case does not remain exponentially localized in general leading to an almost factorial norm growth. Therefore the unitary $U$ in many-body systems with maximal norm growth either does not exist and such systems are always ergodic or unusual non-ergodic phases described by $\tilde H$ do exist which violate the operator growth hypothesis and in which operators spread, implying that transport will eventually set in. We analytically and symbolically verify our results for the Anderson and Aubry-André models. For the XXX case, the symbolic calculations are consistent with a maximal norm growth. Furthermore, we find no indication of a weakened exponential localization of $A$, expected for strong disorder and low commutator orders if the unitary $U$ does exist. Finally, we try to perturbatively construct $U$ by consecutive Schrieffer-Wolff transformations. While it is straightforward to show that this construction converges in the Anderson case, we find no indications for a convergence in the interacting case, suggesting that $U$ does not exist and that many-body localization is absent.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_08031
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Operator Growth in Disordered Spin Chains: Indications for the Absence of Many-Body Localization
Weisse, A.
Gerstner, R.
Sirker, J.
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Statistical Mechanics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Quantum Physics
We consider the spreading of a local operator $A$ in one-dimensional systems with Hamiltonian $H$ by calculating the $k$-fold commutator $[H,[H,[...,[H,A]]]]$. We derive bounds for the operator norm of this commutator in free and interacting systems with and without disorder thus directly connecting the operator growth hypothesis with questions of localization. We analytically show that an almost factorial growth of the operator norm - as recently proven for the random Ising model - is inconsistent with an exponential localization of $A$. Assuming that a quasi-local unitary $U$ exists which maps $H$ onto an effective Hamiltonian $\tilde H=UHU^\dagger=\sum_n E_n τ^z_n +\sum_{i,j} J_{ij} τ^z_iτ^z_j+\dots$, we show that $\tilde A=UAU^\dagger$ is a quasi-local operator which in the many-body case does not remain exponentially localized in general leading to an almost factorial norm growth. Therefore the unitary $U$ in many-body systems with maximal norm growth either does not exist and such systems are always ergodic or unusual non-ergodic phases described by $\tilde H$ do exist which violate the operator growth hypothesis and in which operators spread, implying that transport will eventually set in. We analytically and symbolically verify our results for the Anderson and Aubry-André models. For the XXX case, the symbolic calculations are consistent with a maximal norm growth. Furthermore, we find no indication of a weakened exponential localization of $A$, expected for strong disorder and low commutator orders if the unitary $U$ does exist. Finally, we try to perturbatively construct $U$ by consecutive Schrieffer-Wolff transformations. While it is straightforward to show that this construction converges in the Anderson case, we find no indications for a convergence in the interacting case, suggesting that $U$ does not exist and that many-body localization is absent.
title Operator Growth in Disordered Spin Chains: Indications for the Absence of Many-Body Localization
topic Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Statistical Mechanics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.08031