Spread complexity as a probe in generalized and long-range Aubry-Andre-Harper models

Abstract

We investigate the spread complexity of quantum quenches in generalized and long-range Aubry-Andre-Harper (AAH) models, encompassing regimes with and without mobility edges. In particular, in the generalized AAH models supporting energy-dependent mobility edges, we demonstrate that the long-time averaged spread complexity exhibits nonanalytic behavior when the post-quench quasiperiodic potential crosses the mobility edge associated with the energy of the initial eigenstate, thereby accurately identifying the mobility-edge transition. Such a behavior is supported by the spreading of local density of states. We further derive analytical expressions for the moments and the corresponding Lanczos coefficients for quenches between the limits of vanishing and strong quasiperiodic potentials. The Lanczos coefficients display qualitatively distinct behavior depending on the presence of mobility edges - they exhibit an initial plateau followed by a decay with the Krylov basis index, in contrast to the nearly constant behavior of the conventional AAH model without mobility edges. For LR hopping, the coefficients decay with the Krylov basis index for quenches from the localized to the extended phase, while they coincide with the AAH results for quenches in the opposite direction.