- Open Access
Transport and localization in driven disordered potentials with quantum and thermal fluctuations
Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033158 – Published 10 August, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/88qb-vcv5
Abstract
The transport and localization of quantum droplets in time-dependent periodic disorder potentials are systematically studied. Our numerical results indicate that such exquisite periodically driven structures may support quantum phases that are principally different compared to static systems. We observe an intriguing anomalous diffusion, with a diffusion exponent depending on the strength of quantum fluctuations and on noise parameters (amplitude and frequency). We show that the interplay of quantum fluctuations and noise tends to suppress localization especially in a large droplet, while the transport is subdiffusive in a small droplet only for a very weak noise. For reducing modulation strength and at fixed dephasing time, the system may exhibit Anderson localization of the Floquet states in the small droplet. We also elucidate the role of thermal effects in the transport properties of quantum droplets. The obtained anomalous diffusion is justified in the frame of a heuristic model.
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