Measurement-induced phase transitions for free fermions in a quasiperiodic potential
Phys. Rev. B 112, 054309 – Published 13 August, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3zfd-3hqt
Abstract
We study the dynamics under continuous measurements for free fermions in a quasiperiodic potential by using the Aubry-André-Harper model with hopping rate and potential strength . On the basis of the quantum trajectory method, we obtain the phase diagram for the steady-state entanglement entropy and demonstrate that robust logarithmic system-size scaling emerges up to a critical potential strength . Moreover, we find that the measurement induces entanglement phase transitions from the logarithmic-law phase to the area-law phase for the potential strength , while any finite measurement stabilizes the area-law phase for . This result is distinct from the entanglement scaling in the unitary limit, where volume-law and area-law phases undergo a transition at . To further support the phase diagram, we analyze the connected correlation function and find that it shows algebraic decay in the logarithmic-law phase, while it decays quickly in the area-law phase. Our results can be tested in ultracold atoms by introducing quasiperiodic potentials and continuously monitoring the local occupation number with an off-resonant probe light.