Observation of interaction-driven dynamical delocalization in the 1D and 3D Anderson models

The quantum kicked rotor is a paradigmatic system to study the Anderson model. Despite the wide interest in the Anderson model, the effect of interaction on the Anderson model has not been studied experimentally. We report the observation of interaction-driven dynamical delocalization in the 1D and 3D Anderson models. We load a ¹⁷⁴Yb BEC into 1D tubes and pulse on a one-dimensional lattice along the axial direction of the tubes. We vary the 2D lattice depth to control the number density, and hence the interaction, and then measure the energy of the atom cloud after some number of kicks. By modulating the pulse amplitude with two other incommensurate frequencies, we can simulate the 3D Anderson model, which is known to display a metal-insulator transition. We show that for both the 1D and 3D Anderson models, the addition of interaction breaks down the localized state and turns the dynamics subdiffusive. Our study of the effect of interaction on the Anderson model for different interaction strengths, kick strengths, and modulation amplitudes sheds light on understanding the transport dynamics of interacting particles in a disordered medium.