Anderson transition on the Bethe lattice: an approach with real energies

We study the Anderson model on the Bethe lattice by working directly with propagators at real energies E. We introduce a novel criterion for the localization–delocalization transition based on the stability of the population of the propagators, and show that it is consistent with the one obtained through the study of the imaginary part of the self-energy. We present an accurate numerical estimate of the transition point, as well as a concise proof of the asymptotic formula for the critical disorder on lattices of large connectivity, as given in Anderson (1958 Phys. Rev. 109 1492–505). We discuss how the forward approximation used in analytic treatments of localization problems ts into this scenario and how one can interpolate between it and the correct asymptotic analysis.