A tensor network approach to many-body localization

ORAL

Abstract

Understanding the many-body localized phase requires access to eigenstates in the middle of the many-body spectrum. While exact-diagonalization is able to access these eigenstates, it is restricted to systems sizes of about 22 spins. To overcome this limitation, we develop tensor network algorithms which increase the accessible system size by an order of magnitude. We describe both our new algorithms as well as the additional physics about MBL we can extract from them. For example, we demonstrate the power of these methods by verifying the breakdown of the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH) in the many-body localized phase of the random field Heisenberg model, and show the saturation of entanglement in the MBL phase and generate eigenstates that differ by local excitations.

Authors

  • Xiongjie Yu

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • David Pekker

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Univ. of Pittsburgh

  • Bryan Clark

    University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign