Local fermion density in inhomogeneous free-fermion chains: a discrete WKB approach

Abstract

We introduce a novel analytical approach for studying free-fermion (XX) chains with smoothly varying, site-dependent hoppings and magnetic fields. Building on a discrete WKB-like approximation applied directly to the recurrence relation for the single-particle eigenfunctions, we derive a closed-form expression for the local fermion density profile as a function of the Fermi energy, which is valid for arbitrary fillings, hopping amplitudes and magnetic fields. This formula reproduces the depletion and saturation effects observed in previous studies of inhomogeneous free-fermion chains, and provides a theoretical framework to understand entanglement entropy suppression in these models. We demonstrate the accuracy of our asymptotic formula in several chains with different hopping and magnetic field profiles. Our findings are thus the first step towards an analytical treatment of entanglement in free-fermion chains beyond the reach of conventional field-theoretic techniques.