Anderson localization in optical lattices with speckle disorder

We study the localization properties of noninteracting waves propagating in a speckle-like potential superposed on a one-dimensional lattice. Using a combined decimation-renormalization procedure, we estimate the localization length for a tight-binding Hamiltonian where site energies are square-sinc-correlated random variables. By decreasing the width of the correlation function, the disorder patterns approach a $\ensuremath{\delta}$-correlated disorder, and the localization length becomes almost energy independent in the strong disorder limit. We show that this regime can be reached for a size of the speckle grains on the order of (lower than) four lattice steps.