Can dissipation induce a transition between many-body localized and thermal states?

Yutao Hu, Chao Yang, Yucheng Wang

Published 2024-07-18Version 1

The many-body mobility edge (MBME) in energy, which separates thermal states from many-body localization (MBL) states, is a critical yet controversial concept in many-body systems. Here we examine the quasiperiodic $t_1-t_2$ model that features a mobility edge. With the addition of nearest-neighbor interactions, we demonstrate the potential existence of a MBME. Then we investigate the impact of a type of bond dissipation on the many-body system by calculating the steady-state density matrix and analyzing the transport behavior, and demonstrate that dissipation can cause the system to predominantly occupy either the thermal region or the MBL region, irrespective of the initial state. Finally, we discuss the effects of increasing system size. Our results indicate that dissipation can induce transitions between thermal and MBL states, providing a new approach for experimentally determining the existence of the MBME.