Charge density waves in disordered media circumventing the Imry-Ma argument

Abstract

Two powerful theoretical predictions, Anderson localization and the Imry-Ma argument, impose significant restrictions on the phases of matter that can exist in the presence of even the smallest amount of disorder in one-dimensional systems. These predictions forbid conducting states and ordered states respectively. It was thus remarkable that a mechanism to circumvent Anderson localization relying on the presence of correlated disorder was found, that is also realized in certain biomolecular systems. In a similar manner, we show that the Imry-Ma argument can be circumvented resulting in the formation of stable ordered states with discrete broken symmetries in disordered one dimensional systems. Specifically, we simulate a family of Hamiltonians of spinless fermions with correlated disorder and interactions, where we find that a charge density wave is stable up to a finite critical disorder strength. Having circumvented the Imry-Ma mechanism, we then investigate other mechanisms by which disorder can destroy an ordered state.

4+ pages, 4 figures. Supplemental (ancillary) information includes 3 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Observation of many-body localization of interacting fermions in a quasi-random optical lattice
• Order by disorder and spiral spin liquid in frustrated diamond lattice antiferromagnets
• Quantum Criticality at the Origin of Life

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Physical limitations of the Hohenberg-Mermin-Wagner theorem
• Momentum-space entanglement after a quench in one-dimensional disordered fermionic systems
• Symmetry breaking and localization in a random Schwinger model with commensuration
• Reaching Quantum Critical Point by Adding Non-magnetic Disorder in Single Crystals of Superconductor $({\text{Ca}}_x{\text{Sr}}_{1-x}{)}_3{\text{Rh}}_4{\text{Sn}}_{13}$