Inner Structure of Many-Body Localization Transition and Fulfillment of Harris Criterion

Author:

Jie Chen, Chun Chen, Xiaoqun Wang

Keyword:

Condensed Matter, Disordered Systems and Neural Networks, Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

journal:

date:

2024-01-20 00:00:00

Abstract

We treat disordered Heisenberg model in 1D as the "standard model" of many-body localization (MBL). Two independent order parameters stemming purely from the half-chain von Neumann entanglement entropy $S_{\textrm{vN}}$ are introduced to probe its eigenstate transition. From symmetry-endowed entropy decomposition, they are probability distribution deviation $|d(p_n)|$ and von Neumann entropy $S_{\textrm{vN}}^{n}(D_n\!=\!\mbox{max})$ of the maximum-dimensional symmetry subdivision. Finite-size analyses reveal that $\{p_n\}$ drives the localization transition, preceded by a thermalization breakdown transition governed by $\{S_{\textrm{vN}}^{n}\}$. For noninteracting case, these transitions coincide, but in interacting situation they separate. Such separability creates an intermediate phase region and may help discriminate between the Anderson and MBL transitions. An obstacle whose solution eludes community to date is the violation of Harris criterion in nearly all numeric investigations of MBL so far. Upon elucidating the mutually independent components in $S_{\textrm{vN}}$, it is clear that previous studies of eigenspectra, $S_{\textrm{vN}}$, and the like lack resolution to pinpoint (thus completely overlook) the crucial internal structures of the transition. We show, for the first time, that after this necessary decoupling, the universal critical exponents for both transitions of $|d(p_n)|$ and $S_{\textrm{vN}}^{n}(D_n\!=\!\mbox{max})$ fulfill the Harris criterion: $\nu\approx2.0\ (\nu\approx1.5)$ for quench (quasirandom) disorder. Our work puts forth "symmetry combined with entanglement" as the missing organization principle for the generic eigenstate matter and transition.

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