Anderson localization in presence of spin-orbit coupling in an atomic Bose gas

Anderson localization (AL), describing the absence of diffusion in 1D noninteracting quantum particles in disordered media, is based on multiple scattering processes. Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is an intrinsic property in many material systems. SOC’s spin-dependent alteration of band structure affects the scattering processes leading to AL. Both disorder and SOC are difficult to tune and control in-situ. Here we describe the interplay of tunable disorder (from optical speckle) and SOC (generated by two-photon Raman coupling) in quasi-1D Bose-Einstein condensates. We show that SOC can significantly decrease the impact of disorder, thereby increasing the conductivity of 1D systems.