Many-body localization transition in a frustrated XY chain

Abstract

We demonstrate many-body localization (MBL) transition in a one-dimensional isotropic XY chain with a weak next-nearest-neighbor frustration in a random magnetic field. We perform finite-size exact diagonalization calculations of level-spacing statistics and fractal dimensions to characterize the MBL transition with increasing the random field amplitude. An equivalent representation of the model in terms of spinless fermions explains the presence of the delocalized phase by the appearance of an effective non-local interaction between the fermions. This interaction appears due to frustration provided by the next-nearest-neighbor hopping.