Comment on "Observation of two-dimensional Anderson localisation of ultracold atoms"

TL;DR

This paper critically examines a recent study claiming to observe two-dimensional Anderson localisation of ultracold atoms, arguing that the evidence is inconclusive and the simulations are inadequate.

Contribution

It provides a detailed critique of the experimental evidence and numerical modeling in the original study, questioning the validity of their claims.

Findings

No clear experimental evidence of Anderson localisation

Numerical simulations do not accurately reproduce the experiment

Some effects are artefacts rather than physical mechanisms

Abstract

Here I provide additional experimental information and criticise the analysis, modelling, interpretation and claims presented in the recent paper [Nature Communications 11, 4942 (2020)]. I argue that the authors have no clear experimental evidence of Anderson localisation (as they claim) and their numerical simulations are very far indeed from reproducing the experiment, as stated in their article. Furthermore, some effects that are ascribed to real physical mechanisms are revealed to be simply artefacts.