One hole in the two-leg t-J ladder and adiabatic continuity to the non-interacting limit

We have carried out density-matrix-renormalization group (DMRG) calculations for the problem of one doped hole in a two-leg $t-J$ ladder. Recent studies have concluded that exotic “Mott” physics — arising from the projection onto the space of no double-occupied sites — is manifest in this model system, leading to charge localization and a new mechanism for charge modulation. In contrast, we show that there is no localization and that the charge density modulation arises when the minimum in the quasiparticle dispersion moves away from $\pi$. Although singular changes in the quasiparticle dispersion do occur as a function of model parameters, all the DMRG results can be qualitatively understood from a non-interacting “band-structure” perspective.