Many-body localization

Many-body localization (MBL) is a phenomenon in quantum physics where interacting particles in a disordered system, like electrons in a material with impurities, stop spreading out and conducting electricity. Instead, they become confined to specific regions, preserving their initial states even over long periods. This prevents the system from reaching thermal equilibrium, meaning it stays "frozen" in a non-thermal state. MBL challenges traditional ideas of how particles behave in materials, revealing a form of quantum order that can maintain memory of initial conditions, with potential implications for quantum information and materials science.