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Many-body localization in a quantum simulator with programmable random disorder

Nature Physics volume 12, pages 907–911 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

When a system thermalizes it loses all memory of its initial conditions. Even within a closed quantum system, subsystems usually thermalize using the rest of the system as a heat bath. Exceptions to quantum thermalization have been observed, but typically require inherent symmetries1,2 or noninteracting particles in the presence of static disorder3,4,5,6. However, for strong interactions and high excitation energy there are cases, known as many-body localization (MBL), where disordered quantum systems can fail to thermalize7,8,9,10. We experimentally generate MBL states by applying an Ising Hamiltonian with long-range interactions and programmable random disorder to ten spins initialized far from equilibrium. Using experimental and numerical methods we observe the essential signatures of MBL: initial-state memory retention, Poissonian distributed energy level spacings, and evidence of long-time entanglement growth. Our platform can be scaled to more spins, where a detailed modelling of MBL becomes impossible.

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Figure 1: An interacting spin model with random disorder.
Figure 2: Emergence of a MBL state.
Figure 3: The Hamming distance (HD).
Figure 4: Quantum Fisher information (QFI).

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Duan, Z.-X. Gong, T. Grover, C. Laumann, S. Wang, N. Yao and J. Zhang for helpful discussions. This work is supported by the ARO Atomic and Molecular Physics Program, the AFOSR MURI on Quantum Measurement and Verification, the IARPA MQCO Program, and the NSF Physics Frontier Center at JQI. M.H. acknowledges the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina (grant No. LPDS 2013-07 and LPDR 2015-01) and P.H. acknowledges the EU IP SIQS, the SFB FoQuS (FWF Project No. F4016-N23) and the ERC synergy grant UQUAM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA

    J. Smith, A. Lee, B. Neyenhuis, P. W. Hess & C. Monroe

  2. Department of Physics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA

    P. Richerme

  3. Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

    P. Hauke & M. Heyl

  4. Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

    P. Hauke & M. Heyl

  5. Physik Department, Technische Universität München, 85747 Garching, Germany

    M. Heyl

  6. Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

    D. A. Huse

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  1. J. Smith
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  2. A. Lee
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  3. P. Richerme
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Contributions

J.S., A.L., P.R., B.N., P.W.H. and C.M. performed the experimental work and P.H., M.H. and D.A.H. performed the theoretical work. All authors contributed to the preparation of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to J. Smith.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Smith, J., Lee, A., Richerme, P. et al. Many-body localization in a quantum simulator with programmable random disorder. Nature Phys 12, 907–911 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3783

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