Quantum Gas Experiment Reveals Many-Body Dynamical Localization

Researchers at the University of Innsbruck have reported experimental evidence of a quantum phenomenon where a system of strongly interacting atoms resists energy absorption under periodic driving. This finding provides insight into how quantum systems can avoid thermalization and maintain coherence.

The experiment used a one-dimensional quantum fluid composed of atoms cooled to temperatures just above absolute zero. These atoms were then subjected to a rapidly and periodically flashed lattice potential created by laser light, allowing the team to observe the system’s response to repeated external driving.

After an initial period, the kinetic energy of the atomic system stopped increasing and its momentum distribution remained unchanged. This behavior, known as many-body dynamical localization (MBDL), indicated that the system had ceased to absorb additional energy from the laser pulses.

The suppression of energy absorption was attributed to quantum coherence and many-body entanglement, which prevented the atoms from reaching thermal equilibrium or displaying diffusive motion under continuous periodic driving. Theoretical work published on arXiv in March 2025 provided a framework for understanding these universal features in strongly correlated quantum gases.

What the numbers show

• The experiment involved atoms cooled to a few nanokelvin above absolute zero
• Findings were published in Science in 2025
• Theoretical study supporting the results appeared on arXiv in March 2025

When randomness was introduced into the timing of the laser pulses, the system no longer exhibited localization. Instead, the atoms resumed diffusive behavior and continued to absorb energy, demonstrating that quantum coherence is essential for maintaining MBDL.

Reports from SciTechDaily and a PubMed abstract summarized the University of Innsbruck’s findings, confirming the observation of many-body dynamical localization in a one-dimensional geometry of quantum-degenerate bosonic atoms under repeated pulsed kicks.

The research suggests new directions for investigating how quantum systems can resist disorder and avoid thermalization. These results may have implications for the development of quantum simulators and quantum computing technologies, where maintaining coherence and controlling energy absorption are important considerations.

The study, titled “Observation of many-body dynamical localization,” was published in the journal Science in 2025. The results have been recognized as a step forward in understanding the interplay between quantum coherence, entanglement, and energy dynamics in driven quantum systems.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.