Eur. Phys. J. B 52, 281-290 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2006-00293-7

Localization properties of driven disordered one-dimensional systems

Max-Planck-Institute für Physik Komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany

Corresponding author: ^a damarti@mpipks-dresden.mpg.de

Received: 28 April 2006
Revised: 19 June 2006
Published online: 31 July 2006

Abstract

We generalize the definition of localization length to disordered systems driven by a time-periodic potential using a Floquet-Green function formalism. We study its dependence on the amplitude and frequency of the driving field in a one-dimensional tight-binding model with different amounts of disorder in the lattice. As compared to the autonomous system, the localization length for the driven system can increase or decrease depending on the frequency of the driving. We investigate the dependence of the localization length with the particle's energy and prove that it is always periodic. Its maximum is not necessarily at the band center as in the non-driven case. We study the adiabatic limit by introducing a phenomenological inelastic scattering rate which limits the delocalizing effect of low-frequency fields.