In analogy with the usual Anderson localization taking place in time-independent disordered quantum systems where the disorder acts in configuration space, systems exposed to temporally disordered potentials can display Anderson localization in the time domain. We demonstrate this phenomenon with one-dimensional examples where a temporally disordered potential induces localization during the quantum evolution of wave packets, in contrast with a fully delocalized classical dynamics. This is an example of a time crystal phenomenon, i.e., a crystalline behavior in the time domain.

• Received 18 March 2016
• Revised 2 June 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.94.023633