In 1958, P.W. Anderson made an unexpected discovery: adding disorder to a solid could cause the electrons to localize, i.e. get stuck. This theoretical result came from quantum effects and it shook the foundations of statistical mechanics. If the electrons can’t move, they cannot decohere and tend to thermal equilibrium, undermining one of the central pillars of the statistical approach to physics. The recent excitement stems from two breakthroughs: the direct experimental observation of localization in ultra-cold atomic gases, and the theory of the role of interactions. In this talk, I will provide an intuitive picture of localization and then move to the current frontiers of our understanding of how getting stuck relates to tantalizing prospects like quantum computation.
