Many-Body-Localization Transition : strong multifractality spectrum for matrix elements of local operators

TL;DR

This paper investigates the many-body localization transition in one-dimensional disordered quantum systems, revealing a strong multifractality spectrum at criticality and discussing the potential existence of a non-ergodic delocalized phase.

Contribution

It introduces a multifractal analysis of local operator matrix elements to characterize the critical point of the MBL transition, highlighting a specific strong multifractality spectrum.

Findings

Critical point exhibits a strong multifractality spectrum f(α)=α/2

Matrix elements show multifractal behavior similar to Anderson localization

Discussion of a possible non-ergodic delocalized phase near criticality

Abstract

For short-ranged disordered quantum models in one dimension, the Many-Body-Localization is analyzed via the adaptation to the Many-Body context [M. Serbyn, Z. Papic and D.A. Abanin, PRX 5, 041047 (2015)] of the Thouless point of view on the Anderson transition : the question is whether a local interaction between two long chains is able to reshuffle completely the eigenstates (Delocalized phase with a volume-law entanglement) or whether the hybridization between tensor states remains limited (Many-Body-Localized Phase with an area-law entanglement). The central object is thus the level of Hybridization induced by the matrix elements of local operators, as compared with the difference of diagonal energies. The multifractal analysis of these matrix elements of local operators is used to analyze the corresponding statistics of resonances. Our main conclusion is that the critical point is characterized by the Strong-Multifractality Spectrum $f(0 \leq \alpha \leq 2)=\frac{\alpha}{2}$, well known in the context of Anderson Localization in spaces of effective infinite dimensionality, where the size of the Hilbert space grows exponentially with the volume. Finally, the possibility of a delocalized non-ergodic phase near criticality is discussed.