---
_id: '9224'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: We re-examine attempts to study the many-body localization transition using
    measures that are physically natural on the ergodic/quantum chaotic regime of
    the phase diagram. Using simple scaling arguments and an analysis of various models
    for which rigorous results are available, we find that these measures can be particularly
    adversely affected by the strong finite-size effects observed in nearly all numerical
    studies of many-body localization. This severely impacts their utility in probing
    the transition and the localized phase. In light of this analysis, we discuss
    a recent study (Šuntajs et al., 2020) of the behaviour of the Thouless energy
    and level repulsion in disordered spin chains, and its implications for the question
    of whether MBL is a true phase of matter.
article_number: '168415'
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: D. A.
  full_name: Abanin, D. A.
  last_name: Abanin
- first_name: J. H.
  full_name: Bardarson, J. H.
  last_name: Bardarson
- first_name: G.
  full_name: De Tomasi, G.
  last_name: De Tomasi
- first_name: S.
  full_name: Gopalakrishnan, S.
  last_name: Gopalakrishnan
- first_name: V.
  full_name: Khemani, V.
  last_name: Khemani
- first_name: S. A.
  full_name: Parameswaran, S. A.
  last_name: Parameswaran
- first_name: F.
  full_name: Pollmann, F.
  last_name: Pollmann
- first_name: A. C.
  full_name: Potter, A. C.
  last_name: Potter
- first_name: Maksym
  full_name: Serbyn, Maksym
  id: 47809E7E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Serbyn
  orcid: 0000-0002-2399-5827
- first_name: R.
  full_name: Vasseur, R.
  last_name: Vasseur
citation:
  ama: 'Abanin DA, Bardarson JH, De Tomasi G, et al. Distinguishing localization from
    chaos: Challenges in finite-size systems. <i>Annals of Physics</i>. 2021;427(4).
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415">10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415</a>'
  apa: 'Abanin, D. A., Bardarson, J. H., De Tomasi, G., Gopalakrishnan, S., Khemani,
    V., Parameswaran, S. A., … Vasseur, R. (2021). Distinguishing localization from
    chaos: Challenges in finite-size systems. <i>Annals of Physics</i>. Elsevier.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415</a>'
  chicago: 'Abanin, D. A., J. H. Bardarson, G. De Tomasi, S. Gopalakrishnan, V. Khemani,
    S. A. Parameswaran, F. Pollmann, A. C. Potter, Maksym Serbyn, and R. Vasseur.
    “Distinguishing Localization from Chaos: Challenges in Finite-Size Systems.” <i>Annals
    of Physics</i>. Elsevier, 2021. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415</a>.'
  ieee: 'D. A. Abanin <i>et al.</i>, “Distinguishing localization from chaos: Challenges
    in finite-size systems,” <i>Annals of Physics</i>, vol. 427, no. 4. Elsevier,
    2021.'
  ista: 'Abanin DA, Bardarson JH, De Tomasi G, Gopalakrishnan S, Khemani V, Parameswaran
    SA, Pollmann F, Potter AC, Serbyn M, Vasseur R. 2021. Distinguishing localization
    from chaos: Challenges in finite-size systems. Annals of Physics. 427(4), 168415.'
  mla: 'Abanin, D. A., et al. “Distinguishing Localization from Chaos: Challenges
    in Finite-Size Systems.” <i>Annals of Physics</i>, vol. 427, no. 4, 168415, Elsevier,
    2021, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415">10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415</a>.'
  short: D.A. Abanin, J.H. Bardarson, G. De Tomasi, S. Gopalakrishnan, V. Khemani,
    S.A. Parameswaran, F. Pollmann, A.C. Potter, M. Serbyn, R. Vasseur, Annals of
    Physics 427 (2021).
date_created: 2021-03-07T23:01:25Z
date_published: 2021-04-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-08-07T13:58:30Z
day: '01'
department:
- _id: MaSe
doi: 10.1016/j.aop.2021.168415
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '1911.04501'
  isi:
  - '000634879800007'
intvolume: '       427'
isi: 1
issue: '4'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.04501
month: '04'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
publication: Annals of Physics
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1096035X
  issn:
  - '00034916'
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: 'Distinguishing localization from chaos: Challenges in finite-size systems'
type: journal_article
user_id: 4359f0d1-fa6c-11eb-b949-802e58b17ae8
volume: 427
year: '2021'
...