Quantum boomerang effect

The quantum boomerang effect is a quantum mechanical phenomenon whereby wavepackets launched through disordered media return, on average, to their starting points, as a consequence of Anderson localization and the inherent symmetries of the system. At early times, the initial parity asymmetry of the nonzero momentum leads to asymmetric behavior: nonzero displacement of the wavepackets from their origin. At long times, inherent time-reversal symmetry and the confining effects of Anderson localization lead to correspondingly symmetric behavior: both zero final velocity and zero final displacement.[1]

  1. ^ Prat, Tony; Delande, Dominique; Cherroret, Nicolas (27 February 2019). "Quantum boomeranglike effect of wave packets in random media". Physical Review A. 99 (2): 023629. arXiv:1704.05241. Bibcode:2019PhRvA..99b3629P. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.99.023629. S2CID 126938499. Retrieved 3 February 2022.