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arXiv:1906.00610 · Physical Review A

Non-Hermitian phase transition and eigenstate localization induced by asymmetric coupling

P. Wang, L. Jin, Z. Song

Published Jun 19, 2019• 39 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We investigate a uniformly coupled non-Hermitian system with asymmetric coupling amplitude. The asymmetric coupling equals to a symmetric coupling threaded by an imaginary gauge field. In a closed configuration, the imaginary gauge field leads to an imaginary magnetic flux, which induces a non-Hermitian phase transition. For an open boundary, the imaginary gauge field results in an eigenstate localization. The eigenstates under Dirac and biorthogonal norms and the scaling laws are quantitatively investigated to show the affect of asymmetric coupling induced one-way amplification. However, the imaginary magnetic flux does not inevitably induce the non-Hermitian phase transition for systems without translation invariance, which is elucidated from the non-Hermitian phase transition in the non-Hermitian ring with a single coupling defect. Our findings provide insights into the non-Hermitian phase transition and one-way localization.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.99.062112

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We investigate a uniformly coupled non-Hermitian system with asymmetric coupling amplitude. The asymmetric coupling equals to a symmetric coupling threaded by an imaginary gauge field. In a closed configuration, the imaginary gauge field leads to an imaginary magnetic flux, which induces a non-Hermitian phase transition. For an open boundary, the imaginary gauge field results in an eigenstate localization. The eigenstates under Dirac and biorthogonal norms and the scaling laws are quantitatively investigated to show the affect of asymmetric coupling induced one-way amplification. However, the imaginary magnetic flux does not inevitably induce the non-Hermitian phase transition for systems without translation invariance, which is elucidated from the non-Hermitian phase transition in the non-Hermitian ring with a single coupling defect. Our findings provide insights into the non-Hermitian phase transition and one-way localization.
We introduce a two-dimensional non-Hermitian lattice model with an imaginary magnetic field and elucidate various unique features which are absent in Hermitian lattice models with real magnetic fields. To describe the imaginary magnetic field, we consider both the Landau gauge and the symmetric gauge, which are related by a generalized gauge transformation, changing not only the phase but also the amplitude of the wave function. We discuss the complex energy spectrum and the non-Hermitian Aharonov-Bohm effect as examples of properties which are due to the imaginary magnetic field independent of the generalized gauge transformation. We show that the energy spectrum does not converge as the lattice size is made larger, which comes from the intrinsic nonperiodicity of the model. However, we have found that the energy spectrum does converge if one fixes the length of one side and makes the other side longer; this asymptotic behavior can be understood in the framework of the non-Bloch band theory. We also find an analog of the Aharonov-Bohm effect; the net change of the norm of the wave function upon adiabatically forming a closed path is determined by the imaginary magnetic flux enclosed by the path, which provides an experimentally observable feature of the imaginary magnetic field.
Understanding the relationship between many-body localization and spectra in non-Hermitian many-body systems is crucial. In a one-dimensional clean, long-range interaction-induced non-Hermitian many-body localization system, we have discovered the coexistence of static and dynamic spectral real-complex phase transitions, along with many-body ergodic-localized phase transitions. The phase diagrams of these two types of transitions show similar non-monotonic boundary trends but do not overlap, highlighting properties distinct from conventional disorder-induced non-Hermitian many-body localization. We also propose a potential experimental realization of this model in cold-atom systems. Our findings provide valuable insights for further understanding the relationship between non-Hermitian many-body localization and non-Hermitian spectra in long-range interacting systems.
Scale-free localization is a distinctive phenomenon in non-Hermitian systems, where specific eigenstates, known as scale-free localized states (LSs), possess localization lengths that scale linearly with the system size. Here, we show that a single non-Hermitian defect in one-dimensional quantum walks (QWs) induces scale-free localization. Driven by non-Hermiticity, the QW system undergoes a pseudo-Hermitian (PH) phase transition and the PH symmetry breaking is accompanied by the emergence of scale-free localization. As non-Hermiticity is further increased, the system undergoes a second phase transition, marked by the emergence of two pairs of bound states. Crucially, we identify the critical points of both transitions using localization properties. Furthermore, we extend our investigation to two-dimensional QWs, where a single non-Hermitian defect also induces scale-free localization, thereby demonstrating the universality of this phenomenon. Our work provides a valuable perspective for further exploring defect physics and a type of novel LS in non-Hermitian quantum systems.
The description of states and dynamics in non-Hermitian systems is fundamentally linked to the choice of an appropriate theoretical framework -- a point of ongoing debate in the field. This work addresses this issue by proposing a consistent formulation that reconciles existing controversies and establishes a unified theoretical understanding. Our approach rests on two foundational premises: (i) the dynamics of both left and right-vectors of a non-Hermitian system must satisfy the Schrödinger equation; (ii) the theoretical framework must preserve gauge invariance, ensuring that physical quantities are independent of unobservable phase choices. Building on these physically motivated assumptions, we refine the biorthogonal framework, leading to a gauge-invariant non-Hermitian quantum theory. Our framework naturally encompasses the open-system effective non-Hermitian evolution as a special case, and can naturally reduce to standard quantum mechanics in the Hermitian limit. As a concrete application, we analyze the dynamical phase transition in a one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model within this gauge-invariant non-Hermitian quantum theory. Notably, our formulation naturally generalizes the known condition for such transitions in Hermitian two-band systems, namely, dki⋅dkf=0\mathbf{d}_{k}^i\cdot\mathbf{d}_{k}^f=0dki​⋅dkf​=0, to the non-Hermitian case, where it takes the form Re[dkidki⋅dkfdkf]=0\mathrm{Re}\Bigl[\frac{\mathbf{d}_{k}^i}{d_{k}^i}\cdot\frac{\mathbf{d}_{k}^f}{d_{k}^f}\Bigr]=0Re[dki​dki​​⋅dkf​dkf​​]=0. Furthermore, we identify entirely new dynamical phase transitions that cannot be characterized by the winding number. We hope that this gauge-invariant non-Hermitian quantum theory will find broad applications in the study of non-Hermitian systems.
Abstract Understanding the relationship between many-body localization and spectra in non-Hermitian many-body systems is crucial. In a one-dimensional clean, long-range interaction-induced non-Hermitian many-body localization system, we have discovered the coexistence of static and dynamic spectral real–complex phase transitions, along with many-body ergodic–localized phase transitions. The phase diagrams of these two types of transitions show similar non-monotonic boundary trends but do not overlap, highlighting properties distinct from conventional disorder-induced non-Hermitian many-body localization. We also propose a potential experimental realization of this model in cold-atom systems. Our findings provide valuable insights for further understanding the relationship between non-Hermitian many-body localization and non-Hermitian spectra in long-range interacting systems.
Localization in non-Hermitian quasicrystals can differ fundamentally from its Hermitian counterpart when non-reciprocity is spatially disordered. Here we study a one-dimensional non-Hermitian Aubry-André-Harper chain with a Bernoulli imaginary gauge field and quasiperiodic onsite modulation. In the nearest-neighbor limit, we identify an anomalous transition from a fully erratic non-Hermitian skin effect (ENHSE) phase to a fully localized phase. Although the fractal dimension vanishes in both regimes, the Lyapunov exponent and the fluctuation of the eigenstate center of mass sharply distinguish them. For generic finite-size realizations, this transition is further accompanied by a complex-to-real spectral change under periodic boundary conditions and a change of spectral winding from nontrivial to trivial. With weak next-nearest-neighbor hopping, we uncover an anomalous mobility edge at the same location as in the Hermitian generalized Aubry-André-Harper model, but separating Anderson-localized states from ENHSE-type macroscopic-accumulation states rather than extended states. We further show that this anomalous localization structure is reflected in spectral winding and wave-packet dynamics: single realizations exhibit winding-dependent drift, winding-resolved averaging preserves opposite directional responses, and full disorder averaging largely restores Hermitian-like transport. Our results establish practical diagnostics of anomalous localization and mobility edges in non-Hermitian quasicrystals.