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Measurements of Waves in a Wind-wave Tank Under Steady and Time-varying Wind Forcing

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Decohering localized waves.

Kristian Rayanov¹, Günter Radons, Sergej Flach

¹Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, D-01187 Dresden, Germany.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics

|August 16, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Localized wave packets require phase coherence. Random phase fluctuations and decoherence destroy this localization, leading to diffusive spreading rather than stable localization.

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Area of Science:

Wave physics
Quantum mechanics
Nonlinear dynamics

Background:

Wave localization, crucial for phenomena like Anderson localization, typically depends on phase coherence.
Randomness and nonlinearity can induce wave localization in the absence of external confinement.
The role of phase coherence in maintaining localized wave states under dynamic conditions is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantitatively investigate the sensitivity of localized wave packets to random phase fluctuations.
To confirm the essential role of phase coherence in sustaining wave localization.
To analyze the impact of decoherence from a dynamical random environment on wave spreading.

Main Methods:

Numerical simulations of wave packet dynamics under controlled phase fluctuations.
Analysis of wave packet spreading and localization metrics.
Systematic variation of environmental parameters to study decoherence effects.

Main Results:

Localized wave packets are highly sensitive to random phase fluctuations, confirming the necessity of phase coherence.
Decoherence induced by a dynamical random environment leads to diffusive spreading, destroying both linear and nonlinear localization.
Maximal spreading occurs at optimal phase fluctuation characteristics due to a balance between decoherence-driven diffusion and ballistic transport.

Conclusions:

Phase coherence is indispensable for maintaining wave localization, even in the presence of nonlinearity.
Dynamical environments that induce decoherence fundamentally alter wave behavior, transitioning from localization to diffusion.
The study provides a quantitative understanding of the interplay between decoherence, transport, and localization in wave systems.