Understanding interaction-driven transport in flux lattices with evolution-path symmetry

Abstract:The destruction of Aharonov-Bohm (AB) caging by interaction and the emergence of interaction-induced chiral currents in flux lattices are two paradigmatic examples of interaction-driven quantum transport. While various mechanisms, such as bound-state formation and chiral spectral imbalance, have been proposed, a unifying physical picture remains elusive. Here, we employ the concept of \textit{evolution-path symmetry} (EPS) and its interaction-induced breaking as a framework to understand interaction-induced delocalization in flux lattices. EPS is defined as the invariance of a path's contribution under combined geometric and phase transformations. We demonstrate that in a $\pi$-flux rhombic lattice, interactions break the EPS present in the non-interacting limit by modifying the phase accumulation of many-body paths, thereby lifting the destructive interference responsible for AB caging. Furthermore, we apply this framework to explain interaction-induced chiral transport in flux ladders, where interactions break the phase relationship between symmetric paths, leading to a non-vanishing chiral current. Our work establishes EPS as a powerful tool for understanding transport phenomena beyond conventional eigenstate analysis.

Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas); Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

arXiv:2607.22288 [cond-mat.quant-gas]

(or arXiv:2607.22288v1 [cond-mat.quant-gas] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.22288 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

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