Emergence of criticality through a cascade of delocalization transitions in quasiperiodic chains

Abstract

Conduction through materials crucially depends on how ordered the materials are. Periodically ordered systems exhibit extended Bloch waves that generate metallic bands, whereas disorder is known to limit conduction and localize the motion of particles in a medium1,2. In this context, quasiperiodic systems, which are neither periodic nor disordered, demonstrate exotic conduction properties, self-similar wavefunctions and critical phenomena3. Here, we explore the localization properties of waves in a novel family of quasiperiodic chains obtained when continuously interpolating between two paradigmatic limits4: the Aubry–André model5,6, famous for its metal-to-insulator transition, and the Fibonacci chain7,8, known for its critical nature. We discover that the Aubry–André model evolves into criticality through a cascade of band-selective localization/delocalization transitions that iteratively shape the self-similar critical wavefunctions of the Fibonacci chain. Using experiments on cavity-polariton devices, we observe the first transition and reveal the microscopic origin of the cascade. Our findings offer (1) a unique new insight into understanding the criticality of quasiperiodic chains, (2) a controllable knob by which to engineer band-selective pass filters and (3) a versatile experimental platform with which to further study the interplay of many-body interactions and dissipation in a wide range of quasiperiodic models.