{
  "id": "2202.09072",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2022-02-18T08:26:19.000Z",
  "updated": "2022-02-18T08:26:19.000Z",
  "title": "A stabilization mechanism for many-body localization in two dimensions",
  "authors": [
    "D. C. W. Foo",
    "N. Swain",
    "P. Sengupta",
    "G. Lemarié",
    "S. Adam"
  ],
  "categories": [
    "cond-mat.dis-nn",
    "cond-mat.quant-gas",
    "cond-mat.str-el"
  ],
  "abstract": "Experiments in cold atom systems see almost identical signatures of many body localization (MBL) in both one-dimensional ($d=1$) and two-dimensional ($d=2$) systems despite the thermal avalanche hypothesis showing that the MBL phase is unstable for $d>1$. Underpinning the thermal avalanche argument is the assumption of exponential localization of local integrals of motion (LIOMs). In this work we demonstrate that addition of a confining potential -- as is typical in experimental setups -- allows a non-interacting disordered system to have super-exponentially (Gaussian) localized wavefunctions, and an interacting disordered system to undergo a localization transition. Moreover, we show that Gaussian localization of MBL LIOMs shifts the quantum avalanche critical dimension from $d=1$ to $d=2$, potentially bridging the divide between the experimental demonstrations of MBL in these systems and existing theoretical arguments that claim that such demonstrations are impossible.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2022-02-18T08:26:19.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "many-body localization",
      "stabilization mechanism",
      "thermal avalanche argument",
      "thermal avalanche hypothesis",
      "disordered system"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 0,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}