# Quantum boomeranglike effect of wave packets in random media

## TL;DR

This paper introduces the 'Quantum Boomerang' effect, where wave packets in random media initially move ballistically but then retroreflect and return to their start point, revealing Anderson localization.

## Contribution

It uncovers a novel quantum phenomenon called the 'Quantum Boomerang' effect, linking wave packet dynamics to Anderson localization in different dimensions.

## Key findings

- Quantum boomerang occurs in 1D wave packets with finite velocity.
- The effect is a signature of Anderson localization in 3D.
- Numerical and analytical evidence supports the phenomenon.

## Abstract

We unveil an original manifestation of Anderson localization for wave packets launched with a finite average velocity: after an initial ballistic motion, the center of mass of the wave packet experiences a retroreflection and slowly returns to its initial position, an effect that we dub "Quantum Boomerang" and describe numerically and analytically in dimension 1. In dimension 3, we show numerically that the quantum boomerang is a genuine signature of Anderson localization: it exists if and only if the quantum dynamics if localized.