Non-Hermitian physics provides an effective description of open and nonequilibrium systems and hosts many novel and intriguing phenomena such as exceptional points and non-Hermitian skin effect. Despite extensive theoretical and experimental studies, however, how to properly deal with the nonadiabatic dynamics in driven non-Hermitian quantum system is still under debate. Here, we develop a theoretical framework based on time-dependent biorthogonal quantum formalism by redefining the associated state to obtain the gauge-independent transition probability, and study the nonadiabatic dynamics of a linearly driven non-Hermitian system. In contrast to the normalization method that leads to a modified Kibble-Zurek scaling behavior, our approach predicts that the defect production at exceptional points exhibits power-law scaling behaviors conforming to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. In the fast quench regime, universal scaling behaviors are also found with respect to the initial quenching parameter, which can be explained by the impulse-adiabatic approximation. Moreover, as trespassing the PT -broken region, the phenomenon of defect freezing, i.e., violation of adiabaticity, is observed.
Non-Hermitian physics provides an effective description of open and nonequilibrium systems and hosts many novel and intriguing phenomena such as exceptional points and non-Hermitian skin effect. Despite extensive theoretical and experimental studies, however, how to properly deal with the nonadiabatic dynamics in driven non-Hermitian quantum system is still under debate. Here, we develop a theoretical framework based on time-dependent biorthogonal quantum formalism by redefining the associated state to obtain the gauge-independent transition probability, and study the nonadiabatic dynamics of a linearly driven non-Hermitian system. In contrast to the normalization method that leads to a modified Kibble-Zurek scaling behavior, our approach predicts that the defect production at exceptional points exhibits power-law scaling behaviors conforming to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. In the fast quench regime, universal scaling behaviors are also found with respect to the initial quenching parameter, which can be explained by the impulse-adiabatic approximation. Moreover, as trespassing the PT -broken region, the phenomenon of defect freezing, i.e., violation of adiabaticity, is observed.
We investigate driven dynamics across critical and exceptional points in the one- and two-dimensional imbalanced-pairing Kitaev models using both the wave-function normalization approach and the biorthogonal framework. For a positive pairing imbalance parameter, the quasiparticle spectrum remains real, and a pairing imbalance neither shifts the equilibrium phase boundaries nor generates imaginary eigenenergies. In this regime, the defect density follows the conventional Kibble--Zurek scaling in one dimension and the extended Kibble--Zurek scaling, arising from a gapless manifold, in two dimensions within both frameworks. The corresponding scaling exponents are therefore governed by those of the Hermitian transition. For a negative pairing imbalance parameter, time-reversal symmetry is broken, the quasiparticle spectrum develops complex eigenvalues, and the gap closes at exceptional points. For ramps ending at an exceptional point, the defect density follows the modified Kibble--Zurek scaling in the wave-function normalization approach, whereas it obeys the conventional Kibble--Zurek scaling in the biorthogonal framework. When the ramp traverses the time-reversal-symmetry-broken region, a finite density of defects remains even in the adiabatic limit, leading to defect freezing in both frameworks. Although this frozen background indicates a breakdown of adiabaticity, the excess defects generated on top of this background continue to obey the conventional Kibble--Zurek scaling in one dimension and the extended Kibble--Zurek scaling in two dimensions.
Non-Hermitian descriptions of quantum matter have seen impressive progress recently, with major advances in understanding central aspects such as their topological properties or the physics of exceptional points, the non-Hermitian counterpart of critical points.Here, we use single-photon interferometry to reconstruct the non-Hermitian Kibble-Zurek mechanism and its distinct scaling behavior for exceptional points, by simulating the defect production upon performing slow parameter ramps.We report progress along two axes.First, we realize parameter ramps across higher-order exceptional points, providing experimental access to their theoretically predicted characteristic Kibble-Zurek scaling behavior in the defect production.Second, we extend the scaling properties to the defect fluctuations, which enables us to extract the correlation length and dynamical exponents of the underlying the exceptional point (EP) and therefore to gain direct experimental information about the universality class of the EPs.Our work represents a step toward increasing the experimental complexity of non-Hermitian quantum time evolution, as part of the quest to move the frontier from single-particle physics toward increasingly complex settings.
Wei-Norman approach for non-Hermitian driven spin-S systems and its application to defect freezing
In the theoretical study of nonequilibrium non-Hermitian systems, obtaining exact analytical solutions for their nonadiabatic dynamics is highly desirable yet often challenging. In this work, we identify a class of non-Hermitian quantum systems where this difficulty can be substantially reduced. Employing the Wei-Norman approach, we show that for a spin-S subject to a general non-Hermitian time-dependent drive, the matrix elements of the evolution operator can be expressed in closed analytical forms (via Jacobi polynomials) in terms of the corresponding spin-1/2 model. This approach is straightforward and accessible to nonspecialists in Lie algebra. As an application, we investigate a specific nonequilibrium non-Hermitian phenomenon known as defect freezing, i.e., the existence of excitations in the adiabatic limit, in spin-S extensions of the PT-symmetric Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model under linear quenches. We derive exact analytical expressions for the momentum-resolved excitation probabilities and the total excitation densities. Our results reveal that defect freezing occurs exclusively in momentum sectors that traverse the PT-symmetry-broken region -- and thus pass through a pair of higher-order exceptional points (EPs) -- during the quench; notably, the excitation density exhibits a singularity at a critical value of the non-Hermiticity parameter. This work enriches the analytical toolkit for nonadiabatic dynamics in multi-level non-Hermitian systems and provides quantitative, testable predictions for defect freezing across higher-order EPs, possibly accessible on platforms such as electric circuit networks and photonic lattices.
The Kibble-Zurek mechanism provides a universal framework for predicting defect formation in non-equilibrium phase transitions. While Markovian dissipation typically degrades universal scaling, the impact of non-Markovian memory remains largely unexplored. We demonstrate that an Ohmic bath induces a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in the open quantum Rabi model. Using simulations based on Matrix Product States, we show that the excitation energy strictly follows universal Kibble-Zurek power-law scaling when evaluated at the freeze-out time. Crucially, we find that since the environment defines the universality class, dissipation does not inherently compete with adiabatic dynamics, in stark contrast to Markovian regimes. Our results establish the Kibble- Zurek mechanism as a robust witness of universality in open quantum systems, revealing that non-Markovian memory preserves the integrity of non-equilibrium scaling.
Non-Hermiticity in quantum Hamiltonians leads to nonunitary time evolution and possibly complex energy eigenvalues, which can lead to a rich phenomenology with no Hermitian counterpart. In this work, we study the dynamics of an exactly solvable non-Hermitian system, hosting both PT-symmetric and PT-broken modes subject to a linear quench. Employing a fully consistent framework, in which the Hilbert space is endowed with a nontrivial dynamical metric, we analyze the dynamics of the generated defects. In contrast to Hermitian systems, our study reveals that PT-broken time evolution leads to defect freezing and hence the violation of adiabaticity. This physics necessitates the so-called metric framework, as it is missed by the oft used approach of normalizing quantities by the time-dependent norm of the state. Our results are relevant for a wide class of experimental systems.
The Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) predicts that when a system is driven through a continuous phase transition, the density of topological defects scales universally with the quench rate. Recent theoretical work [H.-B. Zeng \textit{et al.}, \textit{Phys. Rev. Lett.} \textbf{130}, 060402 (2023)] has challenged this picture, showing that under sufficiently fast quenches, both the defect density and freezing time become independent of the quench rate and instead scale universally with the quench range. Here, we experimentally test this prediction using a single trapped-ion qubit to simulate fast quantum quenches in the Landau-Zener and 1D Rice-Mele models. We identify a critical quench rate vc that scales with the quench range δmax, separating two distinct dynamical regimes. In the Rice-Mele model, for v<vc, the defect density follows the KZM scaling ∼v1/2; for v>vc, it exhibits a universal scaling ∼δmax, independent of the quench rate. Our results provide direct experimental evidence of the predicted breakdown of KZM universality under fast quenches.