Energy transport in strongly disordered superconductors and magnets

TL;DR

This paper develops an analytical theory for quantum phase transitions caused by disorder in magnets and superconductors, revealing two distinct disordered phases with different relaxation rates and glassy inhomogeneities.

Contribution

It introduces a cavity approximation approach to analyze disorder-driven quantum phase transitions in complex systems.

Findings

Identification of two disordered phases with distinct relaxation behaviors

Both phases exhibit strong inhomogeneities typical of glassy physics

The cavity approximation becomes exact on a Bethe lattice with large branching number

Abstract

We develop an analytical theory for quantum phase transitions driven by disorder in magnets and superconductors. We study these transitions with a cavity approximation which becomes exact on a Bethe lattice with large branching number. We find two different disordered phases, characterized by very different relaxation rates, which both exhibit strong inhomogeneities typical of glassy physics.