Temperature-induced optical enhancement near a localization transition

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Liquito, Raul, Gonçalves, Miguel, Amorim, Bruno, Castro, Eduardo V.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Liquito, Raul
Gonçalves, Miguel
Amorim, Bruno
Castro, Eduardo V.
author_facet Liquito, Raul
Gonçalves, Miguel
Amorim, Bruno
Castro, Eduardo V.
contents Quasiperiodic systems are an intermediate class of systems between periodic crystals and disordered systems, famously exhibiting metal-insulator transitions (MITs) even in one dimension. While their transport properties have been studied extensively, a systematic analysis of the finite-frequency optical conductivity near the critical point has been lacking. In this work, we carry out a detailed study of the optical conductivity in the paradigmatic Aubry-André model. We find that the zero-temperature low-frequency optical signal is strongly restructured by the quasiperiodic potential, exhibiting an optical gap that closes discontinuously as the system approaches the MIT. Most strikingly, we uncover a mechanism for a strong enhancement of the low-frequency finite temperature optical conductivity at certain resonant frequencies. This enhancement stems from the thermal activation of Pauli-blocked transitions between strongly resonant van Hove singularities. This mechanism provides new insight into finite-frequency transport in quasiperiodic systems and a new pathway for manipulating optical properties near a localization transition. Furthermore, our findings establish the optical response as a powerful, experimentally accessible tool for probing non-trivial quasiperiodicity effects.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_21423
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Temperature-induced optical enhancement near a localization transition
Liquito, Raul
Gonçalves, Miguel
Amorim, Bruno
Castro, Eduardo V.
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Quasiperiodic systems are an intermediate class of systems between periodic crystals and disordered systems, famously exhibiting metal-insulator transitions (MITs) even in one dimension. While their transport properties have been studied extensively, a systematic analysis of the finite-frequency optical conductivity near the critical point has been lacking. In this work, we carry out a detailed study of the optical conductivity in the paradigmatic Aubry-André model. We find that the zero-temperature low-frequency optical signal is strongly restructured by the quasiperiodic potential, exhibiting an optical gap that closes discontinuously as the system approaches the MIT. Most strikingly, we uncover a mechanism for a strong enhancement of the low-frequency finite temperature optical conductivity at certain resonant frequencies. This enhancement stems from the thermal activation of Pauli-blocked transitions between strongly resonant van Hove singularities. This mechanism provides new insight into finite-frequency transport in quasiperiodic systems and a new pathway for manipulating optical properties near a localization transition. Furthermore, our findings establish the optical response as a powerful, experimentally accessible tool for probing non-trivial quasiperiodicity effects.
title Temperature-induced optical enhancement near a localization transition
topic Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.21423