We consider the use of the energy density for describing a localization of relativistic particles. This method is consistent with the causality requirements. The related positive operator valued measure is presented. The probability distributions for one particle states are given explicitly.
Localization of relativistic particles and their position-momentum uncertainty relations are not yet fully understood. We discuss two schemes of photon localization that are based on the energy density. One scheme produces a positive operator-valued measure for localization. It coincides with the number density operator and reproduces the effective 3x3 polarization density matrix. Another scheme results in a probability distribution that is conditioned on the detection. In both schemes the uncertainty relations for transversal position and momentum approach the Heisenberg bound $Δp Δz= \hbar/2…
This paper is a contribution to the problem of particle localization in non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics. Our main results will be (1) to formulate the problem of localization in terms of invariant subspaces of the Hilbert space, and (2) to show that the rigged Hilbert space incorporates particle localization in a natural manner.
Particle localization within quantum field theory is revisited. Canonical quantization of a free scalar field theory is performed in a manifestly Lorentz covariant way with respect to an arbitrary 3-surface $Σ$, which is the simultaneity surface associated with the observer, whose proper time direction is orthogonal to $Σ$. Position on $Σ$ is determined by a 4-vector ${\bar x}^μ$. The corresponding quantum position operator, formed in terms of the operators $a^\dagger ({\bar x})$, $a({\bar x})$, that create/annihilate particles on $Σ$, has thus well behaved properties under Lorentz transformat…
We predict the quantum correlations between non-interacting particles evolving simultaneously in a disordered medium. While the particle density follows the single-particle dynamics and exhibits Anderson localization, the two-particle correlation develops unique features that depend on the quantum statistics of the particles and their initial separation. On short time scales, the localization of one particle becomes dependent on whether the other particle is localized or not. On long time scales, the localized particles show oscillatory correlations within the localization length. These effect…
Free evolution for quantum particle in general ultrametric space is considered. We find that if mean zero wave packet is localized in some ball in the ultrametric space then its evolution remains localized in the same ball.
We describe a previously unexplored effect of the continuous spontaneous localization model whereby a correlation develops in the distributions of two nearby non-interacting particles following a period of diffusion. We propose the use of this effect as an experimental test differentiating between the continuous spontaneous localization model and standard quantum theory. The test involves building a joint probability distribution for the locations of the two particles by repeatedly releasing them from two nearby traps and subsequently measuring their positions after a brief period of time. We …
We propose a feedback scheme to control the vibrational motion of a single trapped particle based on indirect measurements of its position. It results the possibility of a motional phase space uncertainty contraction, correponding to cool the particle close to the motional ground state.
We study bipartite entanglement in a general one-particle state, and find that the linear entropy, quantifying the bipartite entanglement, is directly connected to the paricitpation ratio, charaterizing the state localization. The more extended the state is, the more entangled the state. We apply the general formalism to investigate ground-state and dynamical properties of entanglement in the one-dimensional Harper model.
Theorems (most notably by Hegerfeldt) prove that an initially localized particle whose time evolution is determined by a positive Hamiltonian will violate causality. We argue that this apparent paradox is resolved for a free particle described by either the Dirac equation or the Klein-Gordon equation because such a particle cannot be localized in the sense required by the theorems.
The interaction of a moving charged particle with its coherent electromagnetic field is analysed in the framework of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. It is shown that, when this interaction is taken into account, a spatially localized state may have a mean energy lower than the one corresponding to a delocalized state.
We describe how quasiclassical relative positions of particles emerge in an initially delocalized quantum system as scattering of a probe beam is observed. We show that in the multiparticle case this localization in position space occurs via intermediate states that are quantum superpositions of spatial configurations. These superpositions are robust to consecutive scattering events, and scattering alone does not lead to their decoherence. Instead the free evolution of the system combines with scattering to destroy these superpositions, leading the particles to adopt classical-like positions r…
Correlation of interacting particles is studied in their dynamics and localization in ideal and disordered lattice systems with the help of numerical tools. Both 1D and 2D systems are considered. In 1D lattices with long-range hopping, differences between dynamics of attractively and repulsively interacting particles are noted. For calculations of 2D systems, a recursion based numerical algorithm for two-particle Greens functions is implemented which provides accurate results. Using this algorithm, spectral properties of 2D Hubbard and Hofstadter models is computed, along with localization par…
The properties of the s-wave for a quasi-free particle with position-dependent mass(PDM) have been discussed in details. Differed from the system with constant mass in which the localization of the s-wave for the free quantum particle around the origin only occurs in two dimensions, the quasi-free particle with PDM can experience attractive forces in $D$ dimensions except D=1 when its mass function satisfies some conditions. The effective mass of a particle varying with its position can induce effective interaction which may be attractive in some cases. The analytical expressions of the eigenf…
With the help of von Neumann entropy, we study numerically the localization properties of two interacting particles (TIP) with on-site interactions in one-dimensional disordered, quasiperiodic, and slowly varying potential systems, respectively. We find that for TIP in disordered and slowly varying potential systems, the spectrum-averaged von Neumann entropy <E_v> first increases with interaction U until its peak, then decreases as U gets larger. For TIP in the Harper model[S. N. Evangelou and D. E. Katsanos, Phys. Rev. B 56, 12797(1997)], the functions of <E_v> versus U are different for part…
We present a scheme to describe the dynamics of accelerating discrete-time quantum walk for one- and two-particle in position space. We show the effect of acceleration in enhancing the entanglement between the particle and position space in one-particle quantum walk and in generation of entanglement between the two unentangled particle in two-particle quantum walk. By introducing the disorder in the form of phase operator we study the transition from localization to delocalization as a function of acceleration. These inter-winding connection between acceleration, entanglement generation and lo…
We investigate the effect of coupling between translational and internal degrees of freedom of composite quantum particles on their localization in a random potential. We show that entanglement between the two degrees of freedom weakens localization due to the upper bound imposed on the inverse participation ratio by purity of a quantum state. We perform numerical calculations for a two-particle system bound by a harmonic force in a 1D disordered lattice and a rigid rotor in a 2D disordered lattice. We illustrate that the coupling has a dramatic effect on localization properties, even with a s…
The one-dimensional Klein-Gordon equation is investigated with the most general Lorentz structure for the external potentials. The analysis of the scattering of particles in a step potential with an arbitrary mixing of vector and scalar couplings reveals that the scalar coupling contributes for increasing the threshold energy for the particle-antiparticle pair production. Furthermore, it is shown that the pair production is only feasible whether the vector coupling exceeds the scalar one. An apparent paradox concerning the localization of a particle in an arbitrarily small region of space, due…
We put forward an interpretation of scalar quantum field theory as relativistic quantum mechanics by curing well known problems related to locality. A probabilistic interpretation of quantum field theory similar to quantum mechanics is difficult if particle localization is defined using the Newton-Wigner position operator as it is non-local and non-covariant. An alternative bilinear covariant position operator is discussed which incorporates a time operator that can be exponentiated to a unitary operator. Moreover, it satisfies an algebra that unifies special relativity and quantum mechanics a…
The notion of Einstein causality, i.e. the limiting role of the velocity of light in the transmission of signals, is discussed. It is pointed out that Nimtz and coworkers use the notion of signal velocity in a different sense from Einstein and that their experimental results are in full agreement with Einstein causality in its ordinary sense. We also show that under quite general assumptions instantaneous spreading of particle localization occurs in quantum theory, relativistic or not, with fields or without. We discuss if this affects Einstein causality.
In this paper, I provide a formal set of assumptions and give a natural criterion for a quantum field theory to admit particles. I construct a naïve approach to localization for a free bosonic quantum field theory and show how this localization scheme, as a consequence of the Reeh-Schlieder theorem, fails to satisfy this criterion. I then examine the Newton-Wigner concept of localization and show that it fails to obey strong microcausality and thus is subject to a more general version of the Reeh-Schlieder theorem. I review approaches to quantum field theoretic explanations of particle detecti…
We demonstrate the onset of strong on-site localization in a one-dimensional many-particle system. The localization is obtained by constructing, in an explicit form, a bounded sequence of on-site energies that eliminates resonant hopping between both nearest and remote sites. This sequence leads to quasi-exponential decay of the single-particle transition amplitude. It also leads to strong localization of stationary many-particle states in a finite-length chain. For an {\it infinite} chain, we instead study the time during which {\it all} many-particle states remain strongly localized. We show…
We consider a quantum particle in tilted two-dimensional lattices in the tight-binding approximations. We found that for some lattice geometries and certain orientations of the static force with respect to the lattice primary axes the particle can freely move across the lattice in the direction perpendicular to the vector of the static force. This effect is argued to be analogue of the photon-induced tunneling in driven one-dimensional lattices. The obtained dispersion relation for the transverse motion of the particle draws this analogy further by eventually showing band collapses when a cont…
We demonstrate that, in a many-particle system, particles can be strongly confined to their sites. The localization is obtained by constructing a sequence of on-site energies that efficiently suppresses resonant hopping. The time during which a many-particle state remains strongly localized in an infinite chain can exceed the reciprocal hopping frequency by $\agt 10^6$ already for a narrow energy bandwidth. The results show viability of quantum computers with time-independent qubit coupling.
We investigate the relationship between the spectral gap delta E_0 and the localization length xi in general one-particle systems. A relationship for many-body systems between the spectral gap and the exponential clustering has been derived from the Lieb-Robinson bound, which reduces to the inequality xi le const. times delta E_0^{-1} for one-particle systems. This inequality, however, turned out not to be optimal qualitatively. As a refined upper bound, we here prove the inequality xi le const. times delta E_0^{-1/2} in general one-particle systems. Our proof is not based on the Lieb-Robinson…
Energy diffusion due to spontaneous localization (SL) for a relativistically-fast moving particle is examined. SL is an alternative to standard quantum theory in which quantum state reduction is treated as a random physical process which is incorporated into the Schrödinger equation in an observer-independent way. These models make predictions in conflict with standard quantum theory one of which is non conservation of energy. On the basis of proposed relativistic extensions of SL it is argued that for a single localized particle, non-relativistic SL should remain valid in the rest frame of th…
Constructing observables that describe the localization of relativistic particles is an important foundational problem in relativistic quantum field theory (QFT). The description of localization in terms of single-time observables leads to conflict with the requirement of causality. In this paper, we describe particle localization in terms of time-of-arrival observables, defined in terms of the interaction between a quantum field and a measuring apparatus. The resulting probabilities are linear functionals of QFT correlation functions. Specializing to the case of a scalar field, we identify se…
Working in the limit in which the localization length scale is large compared to other relevant length scales we examine three experimental situations with the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model---a well-motivated alternative to standard quantum theory. These are the two-slit experiment; scattering from a potential barrier; and the release of two non-interacting particles simultaneously from a potential trap. In each case we calculate the diagonal part of the time evolved density matrix giving a probability density function over final measured states. The case of the two-slit expe…
We show analytically that particle trapping appears in a quantum process called "quantum walk", in which the particle moves macroscopically correlating to the inner states. It has been well known that a particle in the ``Hadamard walk" with two inner states spreads away quickly on a line. In contrast, we find one-dimensional quantum walk with multi-state in which a particle stays at the starting point entirely with high positive probability. This striking difference is explained from difference between degeneration of eigenvalues of the time-evolution matrices.
We show that, in contrast to immediate intuition, Anderson localization of noninteracting particles induced by a disordered potential in free space can increase (i.e., the localization length can decrease) when the particle energy increases, for appropriately tailored disorder correlations. We predict the effect in one, two, and three dimensions, and propose a simple method to observe it using ultracold atoms placed in optical disorder. The increase of localization with the particle energy can serve to discriminate quantum versus classical localization.
We study the motion of M particles performing a quantum walk on the line. Under various conditions on the initial coin states for quantum walkers controlled by the Hadamard operator, we give theoretical criterion to observe the quantum walkers at an initial location with high probability.
Paul traps are ion traps that are widely used in spectroscopic experiments to confine and stabilize a charged particle within a small region using oscillating electric fields. The dynamics of the particle inside a Paul trap is described by Mathieu equations. It has been proposed that such traps can be used to detect the effects produced by spontaneous collapse of the associated wavefunction, as described by the model of CSL (Continuous Spontaneous Localization). This model is a non-linear, stochastic and non-relativistic modification to the Schrödinger equation which predicts an additional ran…
Using an appropriatly formulated holographic lightfront projection, we derive an area law for the localization-entropy caused by vacuum polarization on the horizon of a wedge region. Its area density has a simple kinematic relation to the volume extensive heat bath entropy of the lightfront algebra. Apart from a change of parametrization the infinite lighlike length contribution to the lightfront volume factor corresponds to the short-distance divergence of the area density of the localization entropy. This correspondence is a consequence of the conformal invariance of the lightfront holograph…
We investigate the effect of anharmonicity and interactions on the dynamics of an initially Gaussian wavepacket in a weakly anharmonic potential. We note that depending on the strength and sign of interactions and anharmonicity, the quantum state can be either localized or delocalized in the potential. We formulate a classical model of this phenomenon and compare it to quantum simulations done for a self consistent potential given by the Gross-Pitaevskii Equation.
We study the scaling of the localization length of two interacting particles in a one-dimensional random lattice with the single particle localization length. We obtain several regimes, among them one interesting weak Fock space disorder regime. In this regime we derive a weak logarithmic scaling law. Numerical data support the absence of any strong enhancement of the two particle localization length.
We show that, in a system with defects, two-particle states may experience destructive quantum interference, or antiresonance. It prevents an excitation localized on a defect from decaying even where the decay is allowed by energy conservation. The system studied is a qubit chain or an equivalent spin chain with an anisotropic ($XXZ$) exchange coupling in a magnetic field. The chain has a defect with an excess on-site energy. It corresponds to a qubit with the level spacing different from other qubits. We show that, because of the interaction between excitations, a single defect may lead to mu…
We show, using quasi-exact numerical simulations, that Anderson localization of one-dimensional particles in a disordered potential survives in the presence of attractive interaction between particles. The localization length of the composite particle can be computed analytically for weak disorder and is in good agreement with the quasi-exact numerical observations using Time Evolving Block Decimation. Our approach allows for simulation of the entire experiment including the final measurement of all atom positions.
We make a critical comparison of relativistic and non-relativistic classical and quantum mechanics of particles in inertial frames and of the open problems in particle localization at the two levels. The solution of the problems of the relativistic center of mass, of the clock synchronization convention needed to define relativistic 3-spaces and of the elimination of the relative times in the relativistic bound states leads to a description with a decoupled non-local (non-measurable) relativistic center of mass and with only relative variables for the particles (single particle subsystems do n…
The electrons found in Dirac materials are notorious for being difficult to manipulate due to the Klein phenomenon and absence of backscattering. Here we investigate how spatial modulations of the Fermi velocity in two-dimensional Dirac materials can give rise to localization effects, with either full (zero-dimensional) confinement or partial (one-dimensional) confinement possible depending on the geometry of the velocity modulation. We present several exactly solvable models illustrating the nature of the bound states which arise, revealing how the gradient of the Fermi velocity is crucial fo…
We investigate a generalized Hadamard walk in two dimensions with five inner states. The particle governed by a five-state quantum walk (5QW) moves, in superposition, either leftward, rightward, upward, or downward according to the inner state. In addition to the four degrees of freedom, it is allowed to stay at the same position. We calculate rigorously the wave function of the particle starting from the origin in the plane for any initial state, and give the spatial distribution of probability of finding the particle. We also investigate the localization problem for the two-dimensional five-…
We explore the dynamics of non-interacting particles loaded into a phase-modulated one-dimensional lattice formed by laterally oscillating square barriers. Tuning the parameters of the driven unit cell of the lattice selected parts of the classical phase space can be manipulated in a controllable manner. We find superdiffusion in position space for all parameters regimes. A directed current of an ensemble of particles can be created through locally breaking the spatiotemporal symmetries of the time-driven potential. Magnitude and direction of the current are tunable. Several mechanisms for tra…
We investigate many body localization in the presence of a single particle mobility edge. By considering an interacting deterministic model with an incommensurate potential in one dimension we find that the single particle mobility edge in the noninteracting system leads to a many body mobility edge in the corresponding interacting system for certain parameter regimes. Using exact diagonalization, we probe the mobility edge via energy resolved entanglement entropy (EE) and study the energy resolved applicability (or failure) of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH). Our numerical resu…
Particles in space periodic potentials constitute standard models for investigation of crystalline phenomena in solid state physics. Time periodicity of periodically driven systems is a close analogue of space periodicity of solid state crystals. There is an intriguing question if solid state phenomena can be observed in the time domain. Here we show that wave-packets localized on resonant classical trajectories of periodically driven systems are ideal elements to realize Anderson localization or Mott insulator phase in the time domain. Uniform superpositions of the wave-packets form stationar…
We experimentally study many-body localization (MBL) with ultracold atoms in a weak one-dimensional quasiperiodic potential, which in the noninteracting limit exhibits an intermediate phase that is characterized by a mobility edge. We measure the time evolution of an initial charge density wave after a quench and analyze the corresponding relaxation exponents. We find clear signatures of MBL, when the corresponding noninteracting model is deep in the localized phase. We also critically compare and contrast our results with those from a tight-binding Aubry-André model, which does not exhibit a …