Localization under the effect of randomly distributed decoherence

TL;DR

This paper investigates how randomly distributed decoherence affects electron transport in disordered quantum systems, revealing a decoherence-driven metal-insulator transition depending on the distribution of environmental interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a model with spatially distributed virtual reservoirs to study the impact of decoherence distribution on localization and conduction in one-dimensional disordered systems.

Findings

Random decoherence distribution requires a threshold to induce Ohmic conduction.

Homogeneous decoherence distribution always destroys localization.

Decoherence distribution type influences metal-insulator transition behavior.

Abstract

Electron transport through disordered quasi one-dimensional quantum systems is studied. Decoherence is taken into account by a spatial distribution of virtual reservoirs, which represent local interactions of the conduction electrons with their environment. We show that the decoherence distribution has observable effects on the transport. If the decoherence reservoirs are distributed randomly without spatial correlations, a minimal degree of decoherence is necessary to obtain Ohmic conduction. Below this threshold the system is localized and thus, a decoherence driven metal-insulator transition is found. In contrast, for homogenously distributed decoherence, any finite degree of decoherence is sufficient to destroy localization. Thus, the presence or absence of localization in a disordered one-dimensional system may give important insight about how the electron phase is randomized.