Many-body localization prevents thermalization in interacting quantum systems with disorder
While many studies demonstrate that strong disorder can prevent thermalization in interacting quantum systems through many-body localization (MBL), recent theoretical work debates the stability of this phenomenon in the thermodynamic limit due to possible thermal avalanches.
The claim represents the standard physical description of many-body localization (MBL), which is supported by numerous theoretical and experimental studies showing disorder-driven ergodicity breaking. However, recent critical literature questions the true asymptotic stability of MBL in the thermodynamic limit due to rare-region avalanches, making the overall status contested.
The evidence we hold leans leans supported
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official record 3x · fact-check 2x · hedged 1x · crowd & reference 1x
- Many-body localization in the age of classical computing. · peer-reviewed · supports · weight 1.3 · 2025
- Uncovering local integrability in quantum many-body dynamics · peer-reviewed · supports · weight 1.05 · 2025
- Many-body localization of fermions with tunable interactions · peer-reviewed · supports · weight 1 · 2025
- Breakdown of thermalization in spin chains with single-ion a · peer-reviewed · supports · weight 1 · 2024
- Many-body localization in the age of classical computing. · peer-reviewed · refutes · weight 1.3 · 2025
- Quantum avalanches in [Formula: see text]-preserving interac · peer-reviewed · refutes · weight 1 · 2025
Sierant P, Lewenstein M, Scardicchio A, Vidmar L, Zakrzewski J. Many-body localization in the age of classical computing.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6633/ad9756
The paper discusses the MBL regime where interacting quantum systems at strong disorder avoid thermalization.
Sierant P, Lewenstein M, Scardicchio A, Vidmar L, Zakrzewski J. Many-body localization in the age of classical computing.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6633/ad9756
It highlights ongoing debates and finite-size drifts toward ergodicity, questioning whether an asymptotic MBL phase truly exists.
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Shtanko O, Wang DS, Zhang H, Harle N, Seif A, Movassagh R, Minev Z. Uncovering local integrability in quantum many-body dynamics.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57623-x
It demonstrates disorder-induced ergodicity breaking in quantum spin lattices via local integrals of motion.
Schauss P, Liu L, Mongkolkiattichai J. Many-body localization of fermions with tunable interactions in a lattice with Moiré-type quasiperiodic disorder. 2025. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7584167/v1
It notes that many-body localization prevents thermalization and breaks the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis.
Sousa MG, Costa RFP, Neto GDM, Vernek E. Breakdown of thermalization in spin chains with single-ion anisotropy.. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-74966-5
It observes that single-ion anisotropy and non-uniform fields suppress thermalization and lead to localization.
Zhang L, Xu K, Fan H. Quantum avalanches in [Formula: see text]-preserving interacting Ising Majorana chain.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-32723-2
It discusses the instability of the MBL phase in the thermodynamic limit due to rare regions and avalanche mechanisms.
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