Exploring Many-body Localization in Quantum Dot Systems

Recent experimental progress in the design and control of quantum dot arrays has opened new possibilities for studying one-dimensional spin chains within a highly tunable platform. We theoretically investigate the realization of many-body localized phases in a quantum dot system, the latter naturally yielding the nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model subject to a magnetic field gradient. We demonstrate how strong gradients take the Heisenberg model into an effective Ising Hamiltonian, and calculate various experimental and theoretical signatures of many-body localization in these systems. These include the quantum Fisher information and energy absorption, which are shown to agree with other metrics recently discussed in the literature. Our results indicate that gate-defined quantum dots provide a promising platform on which to explore many-body localization and related phenomena such as discrete time crystal phases in a controlled setting.