Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with nonreciprocal coupling can achieve amplification of initial states without external gain due to a kind of inherent source. We discuss the source and its effect on time evolution in terms of complex eigenenergies and nonorthogonal eigenstates. Demonstrating two extreme cases of Hamiltonians, namely one having complex eigenenergies with orthogonal eigenstates and one having real eigenenergies with nonorthogonal eigenstates, we elucidate the differences between the amplifications from complex eigenenergies and from nonorthogonal eigenstates.
Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with nonreciprocal coupling can achieve amplification of initial states without external gain due to a kind of inherent source. We discuss the source and its effect on time evolution in terms of complex eigenenergies and nonorthogonal eigenstates. Demonstrating two extreme cases of Hamiltonians, namely one having complex eigenenergies with orthogonal eigenstates and one having real eigenenergies with nonorthogonal eigenstates, we elucidate the differences between the amplifications from complex eigenenergies and from nonorthogonal eigenstates.
The dynamics of a wave in an open quantum system can be described by the eigenstates of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, provided that it is not at an exceptional point. Naively, one would expect that the decay of the energy eigenstates directly determines the decay of the total wave intensity. We show, however, that this is not the case for systems with localized losses. Instead, the nonorthogonality of the energy eigenstates plays an important role. It can to a large extent compensate for the initial decay of the eigenstates leading to a transient power-law decay of the wave intensity with a potentially large exponent.
We develop a theoretical description of non-Hermitian time evolution that accounts for the breakdown of the adiabatic theorem. We obtain closed-form expressions for the time-dependent state amplitudes, involving the complex eigenenergies as well as interband Berry connections calculated using basis sets from appropriately chosen Schur decompositions. Using a two-level system as an example, we show that our theory accurately captures the phenomenon of ``sudden transitions,'' where the system state abruptly jumps from one eigenstate to another.
A possible method to investigate non-Hermitian Hamiltonians is suggested through finding a Hermitian operator η+ and defining the annihilation and creation operators to be η+ -pseudo-Hermitian adjoint to each other. The operator η+ represents the η+ -pseudo-Hermiticity of Hamiltonians. As an example, a non-Hermitian and non-PT-symmetric Hamiltonian with imaginary linear coordinate and linear momentum terms is constructed and analyzed in detail. The operator η+ is found, based on which, a real spectrum and a positive-definite inner product, together with the probability explanation of wave functions, the orthogonality of eigenstates, and the unitarity of time evolution, are obtained for the non-Hermitian and non-PT-symmetric Hamiltonian. Moreover, this Hamiltonian turns out to be coupled when it is extended to the canonical noncommutative space with noncommutative spatial coordinate operators and noncommutative momentum operators as well. Our method is applicable to the coupled Hamiltonian. Then the first and second order noncommutative corrections of energy levels are calculated, and in particular the reality of energy spectra, the positive-definiteness of inner products, and the related properties (the probability explanation of wave functions, the orthogonality of eigenstates, and the unitarity of time evolution) are found not to be altered by the noncommutativity.
Many-body localization is shown to suppress the imaginary parts of complex eigenenergies for general non-Hermitian Hamiltonians having time-reversal symmetry. We demonstrate that a real-complex transition, which we conjecture occurs upon many-body localization, profoundly affects the dynamical stability of non-Hermitian interacting systems with asymmetric hopping that respects time-reversal symmetry. Moreover, the real-complex transition is shown to be absent in non-Hermitian many-body systems with gain and/or loss that breaks time-reversal symmetry, even though the many-body localization transition still persists.
Non-Hermitian physics has emerged as a rapidly advancing field of research, revealing a range of novel phenomena and potential applications. Traditional non-Hermitian Hamiltonians are typically simulated by constructing asymmetric couplings or by introducing dissipation and gain to realize non-Hermitian systems. The quadratic bosonic system (QBS) with squeezing interaction is intrinsically Hermitian; however, its dynamical evolution matrix in both real and momentum spaces is non-Hermitian. Based on this, applying a field-operator transformation xp to the dynamical evolution matrix yields quadrature nonreciprocal transmission between the x and p operators. This nonreciprocal characteristic can be utilized in signal amplifiers. On the other hand, within the Bogoliubov-de Gennes framework in momentum space, one can observe non-Hermitian topological phenomena such as point-gap topology and the non-Hermitian skin effect, both induced by spectra with nonzero winding numbers. Additionally, QBS can be employed to realize non-Hermitian Aharonov-Bohm cages and to extend non-Bloch band theory. Previous studies in non-Hermitian physics have largely concentrated on classical systems. The influence of non-Hermitian properties on quantum effects remains a key issue awaiting exploration and has evolved into a research direction at the interface of non-Hermitian and quantum physics.
The conventional time-dependent perturbation theory in quantum mechanics is established within the framework of Hermitian Hamiltonians, applicable for describing quantum transitions and associated energy level responses in such systems. However, this theory has fundamental limitations when applied to non-Hermitian systems. Consequently, researchers have systematically extended time-dependent perturbation theory to non-Hermitian systems, establishing a corresponding mature framework. Building on this foundation, this study extends the theory to investigate the transition dynamics induced by non-Hermitian interactions in non-Hermitian Hamiltonian systems. We employ a biorthogonal basis representation for a three-level non-Hermitian system. This work investigates a system comprising an unperturbed static non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and a periodically driven time-dependent perturbation Hamiltonian. Taking the three-level system as a concrete example, we combine analytical methods with numerical simulations to solve and analyze its dynamical evolution equations. These complementary approaches reveal that when system parameters complete a full cycle around an exceptional point, the transitional behavior exhibits specific evolutionary patterns. In this system, quantum transition probabilities exhibit significant asymmetry and non-conservation that depend on the initial and final states, revealing inherent directional characteristics in the dynamical process. Furthermore, for a three-level, periodically driven non-Hermitian system with time-dependent perturbations, this asymmetry is even more pronounced, manifesting as a distinct disparity between forward and reverse transition probabilities. The periodic driving actively amplifies the asymmetry in the transition process. By designing the perturbation spectrum, selective manipulation of specific quantum states can be achieved. Moreover, transition probabilities can be significantly enhanced under resonance conditions, while non-Hermiticity further breaks the system's inherent symmetry, leading to substantial amplification of transitions in a single direction. By precisely tuning the drive frequency, interactions between specific coupling channels can be selectively enhanced or suppressed. The amplification of channel asymmetry by non-Hermitian properties provides a novel mechanism for directional control of quantum states and opens new pathways for realizing related quantum technologies.