arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Alexander Elgart.
It is shown that the infinite random Heisenberg XXZ spin-$\frac12$ chain exhibits slow propagation of information (logarithmic light cone), a key signature of many-body localization (MBL), in any fixed energy interval at the bottom of the spectrum. The relevant parameter regime, which covers both weak interaction and strong disorder, is determined solely by the energy interval.
It is shown that the infinite random Heisenberg XXZ spin-$\frac12$ chain exhibits localization phenomena, such as spectral, eigenstate, and weak dynamical localization, in an arbitrary (but fixed) energy interval in a non-trivial region of the parameter space. This region depends only on the energy interval and includes weak interaction and strong disorder regimes. The crucial step in the argument is a proof that if the Green functions for the associated finite systems Hamiltonians exhibit certain (volume-dependent) decay properties in a fixed energy interval, then the infinite volume Green function decays in the same interval as well. The pertinent finite systems decay properties for the random XXZ spin chain had been previously verified by the authors.
The random XXZ quantum spin chain manifests localization (in the form of quasi-locality) in any fixed energy interval, as previously proved by the authors. In this article it is shown that this property implies slow propagation of information, one of the putative signatures of many-body localization, in the same energy interval.
We study the many-body localization (MBL) properties of the Heisenberg XXZ spin-$\frac12$ chain in a random magnetic field. We prove that the system exhibits localization in any given energy interval at the bottom of the spectrum in a nontrivial region of the parameter space. This region, which includes weak interaction and strong disorder regimes, is independent of the size of the system and depends only on the energy interval. Our approach is based on the reformulation of the localization problem as an expression of quasi-locality for functions of the random many-body XXZ Hamiltonian. This allows us to extend the fractional moment method for proving localization, previously derived in a single-particle localization context, to the many-body setting.
This work justifies the linear response formula for the Hall conductance of a two-dimensional disordered system. The proof rests on controlling the dynamics associated with a random time-dependent Hamiltonian. The principal challenge is related to the fact that spectral and dynamical localization are intrinsically unstable under perturbation, and the exact spectral flow - the tool used previously to control the dynamics in this context - does not exist. We resolve this problem by proving a local adiabatic theorem: With high probability, the physical evolution of a localized eigenstate $\psi$ associated with a random system remains close to the spectral flow for a restriction of the instantaneous Hamiltonian to a region $R$ where the bulk of $\psi$ is supported. Allowing $R$ to grow at most logarithmically in time ensures that the deviation of the physical evolution from this spectral flow is small. To substantiate our claim on the failure of the global spectral flow in disordered systems, we prove eigenvector hybridization in a one-dimensional Anderson model at all scales.
We establish a sufficient condition under which ${\rm det}\,(ABA^{-1}B^{-1})=1$ for a pair of bounded, invertible operators $A,B$ on a Hilbert space.
We present a new approach to the eigensystem multiscale analysis (EMSA) for random Schr\"odinger operators that relies on the Wegner estimate. The EMSA treats all energies of the finite volume operator in an energy interval at the same time, simultaneously establishing localization of all eigenfunctions with eigenvalues in the energy interval with high probability. It implies all the usual manifestations of localization (pure point spectrum with exponentially decaying eigenfunctions, dynamical localization). The new method removes the restrictive level spacing hypothesis used in the previous versions of the EMSA. The method is presented in the context of the Anderson model, allowing for single site probability distributions that are H\"older continuous of order $\alpha \in (0,1]$.
We prove a probabilistic level-spacing estimate at the bottom of the spectrum for continuum alloy-type random Schr\"odinger operators, assuming sign-definiteness of a single-site bump function and absolutely continuous randomness. More precisely, given a finite-volume restriction of the random operator onto a box of linear size $L$, we prove that with high probability the eigenvalues below some threshold energy $E_{\rm sp}$ keep a distance of at least $e^{-(\log L)^\beta}$ for sufficiently large $\beta>1$. This implies simplicity of the spectrum of the infinite-volume operator below $E_{\rm sp}$. Under the additional assumption of Lipschitz-continuity of the single-site probability density we also prove a Minami-type estimate and Poisson statistics for the point process given by the unfolded eigenvalues around a reference energy $E$.
We study disordered XXZ spin chains in the Ising phase exhibiting droplet localization, a single cluster localization property we previously proved for random XXZ spin chains. It holds in an energy interval $I$ near the bottom of the spectrum, known as the droplet spectrum. We establish dynamical manifestations of localization in the energy window $I$, including non-spreading of information, zero-velocity Lieb-Robinson bounds, and general dynamical clustering. Our results do not rely on knowledge of the dynamical characteristics of the model outside the droplet spectrum. A byproduct of our analysis is that for random XXZ spin chains this droplet localization can happen only inside the droplet spectrum.
We examine many-body localization properties for the eigenstates that lie in the droplet sector of the random-field spin-$\frac 1 2$ XXZ chain. These states satisfy a basic single cluster localization property (SCLP), derived in \cite{EKS}. This leads to many consequences, including dynamical exponential clustering, non-spreading of information under the time evolution, and a zero velocity Lieb Robinson bound. Since SCLP is only applicable to the droplet sector, our definitions and proofs do not rely on knowledge of the spectral and dynamical characteristics of the model outside this regime. Rather, to allow for a possible mobility transition, we adapt the notion of restricting the Hamiltonian to an energy window from the single particle setting to the many body context.
We study many-body localization properties of the disordered XXZ spin chain in the Ising phase. Disorder is introduced via a random magnetic field in the $z$-direction. We prove a strong form of dynamical exponential clustering for eigenstates in the droplet spectrum: For any pair of local observables separated by a distance $\ell$, the sum of the associated correlators over these states decays exponentially in $\ell$, in expectation. This exponential clustering persists under the time evolution in the droplet spectrum. Our result applies to the large disorder regime as well as to the strong Ising phase at fixed disorder, with bounds independent of the support of the observables.
We present an eigensystem multiscale analysis for proving localization (pure point spectrum with exponentially decaying eigenfunctions, dynamical localization) for the Anderson model in an energy interval. In particular, it yields localization for the Anderson model in a nonempty interval at the bottom of the spectrum. This eigensystem multiscale analysis in an energy interval treats all energies of the finite volume operator at the same time, establishing level spacing and localization of eigenfunctions with eigenvalues in the energy interval in a fixed box with high probability. In contrast to the usual strategy, we do not study finite volume Green's functions. Instead, we perform a multiscale analysis based on finite volume eigensystems (eigenvalues and eigenfunctions). In any given scale we only have decay for eigenfunctions with eigenvalues in the energy interval, and no information about the other eigenfunctions. For this reason, going to a larger scale requires new arguments that were not necessary in our previous eigensystem multiscale analysis for the Anderson model at high disorder, where in a given scale we have decay for all eigenfunctions.
We introduce a new approach for proving localization (pure point spectrum with exponentially decaying eigenfunctions, dynamical localization) for the Anderson model at high disorder. In contrast to the usual strategy, we do not study finite volume Green's functions. Instead, we perform a multiscale analysis based on finite volume eigensystems (eigenvalues and eigenfunctions). Information about eigensystems at a given scale is used to derive information about eigensystems at larger scales. This eigensystem multiscale analysis treats all energies of the finite volume operator at the same time, establishing level spacing and localization of eigenfunctions in a fixed box with high probability. A new feature is the labeling of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions by the sites of the box.
We explore the properties of discrete random Schroedinger operators in which the random part of the potential is supported on a sub-lattice. In particular, we provide new conditions on the sub-lattice under which Anderson localisation happens at strong disorder, and provide examples in which it can be ruled out.
We derive a sufficient condition for a Hermitian $N \times N$ matrix $A$ to have at least $m$ eigenvalues (counting multiplicities) in the interval $(-ε, ε)$. This condition is expressed in terms of the existence of a principal $(N-2m) \times (N-2m)$ submatrix of $A$ whose Schur complement in $A$ has at least $m$ eigenvalues in the interval $(-Kε, Kε)$, with an explicit constant $K$. We apply this result to a random Schrodinger operator $H_ω$, obtaining a criterion that allows us to control the probability of having $m$ closely lying eigenvalues for $H_ω$-a result known as an $m$-level Wegner estimate. We demonstrate its usefulness by verifying the input condition of our criterion for some physical models. These include the Anderson model and random block operators that arise in the Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory of dirty superconductors.
We consider discrete Schr\"odinger operators of the form $H=-\Delta +V$ on $\ell^2(\Z^d)$, where $\Delta$ is the discrete Laplacian and $V$ is a bounded potential. Given $\Gamma \subset \Z^d$, the $\Gamma$-trimming of $H$ is the restriction of $H$ to $\ell^2(\Z^d\setminus\Gamma)$, denoted by $H_\Gamma$. We investigate the dependence of the ground state energy $E_\Gamma(H)=\inf \sigma (H_\Gamma)$ on $\Gamma$. We show that for relatively dense proper subsets $\Gamma$ of $\Z^d$ we always have $E_\Gamma(H)>E_\emptyset(H)$. We use this lifting of the ground state energy to establish Wegner estimates and localization at the bottom of the spectrum for $\Gamma$-trimmed Anderson models, i.e., Anderson models with the random potential supported by the set $\Gamma$
We derive a nearly optimal upper bound on the running time in the adiabatic theorem for a switching family of Hamiltonians. We assume the switching Hamiltonian is in the Gevrey class $G^\alpha$ as a function of time, and we show that the error in adiabatic approximation remains small for running times of order $g^{-2}\,|\ln\,g\,|^{6\alpha}$. Here $g$ denotes the minimal spectral gap between the eigenvalue(s) of interest and the rest of the spectrum of the instantaneous Hamiltonian.
We present an extension of Adiabatic Quantum Computing (AQC) algorithm for the unstructured search to the case when the number of marked items is unknown. The algorithm maintains the optimal Grover speedup and includes a small counting subroutine. Our other results include a lower bound on the amount of time needed to perform a general Hamiltonian-based quantum search, a lower bound on the evolution time needed to perform a search that is valid in the presence of control error and a generic upper bound on the minimum eigenvalue gap for evolutions. In particular, we demonstrate that quantum speedup for the unstructured search using AQC type algorithms may only be achieved under very rigid control precision requirements.