Many-body localization, symmetry, and topology

Journal article

We review recent developments in the study of out-of-equilibrium topological states of matter in isolated systems. The phenomenon of many-body localization, exhibited by some isolated systems usually in the presence of quenched disorder, prevents systems from equilibrating to a thermal state where the delicate quantum correlations necessary for topological order are often washed out. Instead, many-body localized systems can exhibit a type of eigenstate phase structure wherein their entire many-body spectrum is characterized by various types of quantum order, usually restricted to quantum ground states. After introducing many-body localization and explaining how it can protect quantum order, we then explore how the interplay of symmetry and dimensionality with many-body localization constrains its role in stabilizing topological phases out of equilibrium.

Authors: Parameswaran, S; Vasseur, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Journal: Reports on Progress in Physics
• Volume: 81
• Issue: 8
• Article number: 082501
• Publication date: 2018-07-04
• Acceptance date: 2018-06-04
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/aac9ed
• EISSN: 1361-6633
• ISSN: 0034-4885
• Keywords: localization; topological phases; non-equilibrium phenomena