Glassy Properties of Anderson Localization: Pinning, Avalanches, and Chaos

G. Lemarié
Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 030401 – Published 22 January 2019
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Abstract

I present the results of extensive numerical simulations, which reveal the glassy properties of Anderson localization in dimension two at zero temperature: pinning, avalanches, and chaos. I first show that strong localization confines quantum transport along paths that are pinned by disorder but can change abruptly and suddenly (avalanches) when the energy is varied. I determine the roughness exponent ζ characterizing the transverse fluctuations of these paths and find that its value ζ=2/3 is the same as for the directed polymer problem. Finally, I characterize the chaos property, namely, the fragility of the conductance with respect to small perturbations in the disorder configuration. It is linked to interference effects and universal conductance fluctuations at weak disorder and more spin-glass-like behavior at strong disorder.

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  • Received 7 September 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.030401

© 2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsStatistical Physics & Thermodynamics

Authors & Affiliations

G. Lemarié*

  • Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, IRSAMC, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France

  • *Corresponding author. lemarie@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr

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Issue

Vol. 122, Iss. 3 — 25 January 2019

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