Philip W. Anderson showed that disorder can prevent quantum transport in a lattice. His 1958 model assigns random energies to sites connected by hopping, demonstrating regimes in which diffusion fails even though motion between neighboring sites is allowed. The phenomenon now called Anderson localization depends on coherent wave propagation through a random system. It changed how an insulating response could be understood, connecting transport with the spatial character of quantum states.[ref]
Absence of Diffusion in Certain Random Lattices by Philip Warren Anderson. Physical Review 109, 1492 (1958), random-site model and absence-of-diffusion criterion
Portrait of Philip W. Anderson
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Philip W. Anderson (1923–2023) was an American physicist known for his significant contributions to condensed matter physics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977 for his work on the theory of disordered systems, which has implications for understanding phenomena in various materials, including metals, semiconductors, and magnets. Anderson's research spanned several key areas, including the development of theories regarding localization, superconductivity, and the behavior of complex materials.
