Non-Hermitian operators are now routinely used to describe few-mode systems such as optical resonators and superconducting qubits, and exceptional points (EPs) are defective spectral singularities of such non-Hermitian operators. In contrast, the scattering-theoretic formulation of EP physics for unbounded Hamiltonians remains less settled. In this work, we formulate the geometric phase associated with encircling an EP when the underlying eigenstates are quantum resonances within a one-dimensional scattering model. To do this, we employ the complex-scaling method, where resonance poles of the S matrix are realized as discrete eigenvalues of the non-Hermitian dilated Hamiltonian, to construct situations in which resonant and scattering states coalesce into an EP in the complex energy plane, that is, the resonance pole is embedded into the continuum spectrum. We analyze the self-orthogonality in the vicinity of an EP, the Berry phase, and the Chern characteristic. Our results clarify how EP branch structure and geometric holonomy arise directly from resonance poles in scattering theory, thereby connecting non-Hermitian spectral topology with the traditional theory of quantum resonances.
Non-Hermitian operators are now routinely used to describe few-mode systems such as optical resonators and superconducting qubits, and exceptional points (EPs) are defective spectral singularities of such non-Hermitian operators. In contrast, the scattering-theoretic formulation of EP physics for unbounded Hamiltonians remains less settled. In this work, we formulate the geometric phase associated with encircling an EP when the underlying eigenstates are quantum resonances within a one-dimensional scattering model. To do this, we employ the complex-scaling method, where resonance poles of the S matrix are realized as discrete eigenvalues of the non-Hermitian dilated Hamiltonian, to construct situations in which resonant and scattering states coalesce into an EP in the complex energy plane, that is, the resonance pole is embedded into the continuum spectrum. We analyze the self-orthogonality in the vicinity of an EP, the Berry phase, and the Chern characteristic. Our results clarify how EP branch structure and geometric holonomy arise directly from resonance poles in scattering theory, thereby connecting non-Hermitian spectral topology with the traditional theory of quantum resonances.
Open photonic systems provide a versatile platform for non-Hermitian physics, enabling control over complex spectra, transport, and light-matter interactions. Exceptional points (EPs), at which eigenvalues and eigenvectors coalesce and the governing operator becomes defective, play a central role because they combine branch-point spectral topology, nonanalytic perturbative response, and controllable eigenstate conversion. This Review provides a unified framework for EP photonics by systematically distinguishing exceptional degeneracies according to the underlying operator, spectral variable, boundary conditions, and experimentally accessible observables. We discuss Hamiltonian EPs, absorbing EPs associated with scattering zeros, real-frequency scattering-matrix and Jones-matrix EPs, Bloch and Floquet EPs, and Liouvillian EPs in open quantum systems. We review their spectral topology, static and dynamical encircling, higher-order exceptional structures, and coexistence with bound states in the continuum, together with applications in sensing, lasing, coherent absorption, directional scattering, polarization and wavefront control, nonlinear optics, optical storage, nonreciprocal photonics, and quantum photonics. We also critically assess the current limitations, practical challenges, and future perspectives of EP-based photonic technologies, with particular attention to robustness, noise, scalability, and experimentally measurable performance.
In the standard (Hermitian) formalism of quantum mechanics, usually when a potential parameter is varied the crossing of energy levels with the same symmetry is avoided. However, within the framework of the non-Hermitian formalism it is possible that two (or even more) complex eigenvalues with the same symmetry will cross. At the crossing point the eigenvalues are degenerate and this is accompanied by the coalescence of the eigenfunctions (or eigenvectors). Therefore, we may term this special situation as a non-Hermitian degeneracy. This special situation is associated with a branch point in the complex energy plane which is commonly termed an “exceptional point” in the spectrum of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. With respect to the c-product defined for non-Hermitian operators (matrices) in Chapter 6, the degenerate eigenstate is self-orthogonal. Since a branch point in the spectrum is removed by any infinitesimally small external perturbation, it seems to be inaccessible experimentally and may be considered just as a mathematical object rather than a physical one. However, as we will show here, by varying the potential parameters the existence of a branch point is reflected in the measurement of the geometrical phases also known as Berry phases. It should be stressed here that while in our case the geometrical phase results from a coalescence of eigenfunctions of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, the so-called Berry phase phenomenon occurs also within the Hermitian formalism of quantum mechanics when the eigenvalues of the molecular Hamiltonian in the Born–Oppenheimer approximation are degenerate for specific geometry of the poly-atomic molecule.
Non-Hermitian systems exhibit a variety of unique features rooted in the presence of exceptional points (EPs). The distinct topological structure in the proximity of an EP gives rise to counterintuitive behaviors absent in Hermitian systems, which emerge after encircling the EP either quasistatically or dynamically. However, experimental exploration of EP encirclement in quantum systems, particularly those involving high-order EPs, remains challenging due to the difficulty of coherently controlling more degrees of freedom. In this work, we experimentally investigate the eigenvalue braiding and state transfer arising from the encirclement of EP in a three-dimensional non-Hermitian quantum system using superconducting circuits. We characterize the second- and third-order EPs through the coalescence of eigenvalues. Then we reveal the topological structure near the EP3 by quasistatically encircling it along various paths with three independent parameters, which yields the eigenvalue braiding described by the braid group B 3 . Additionally, we observe chiral state transfer between three eigenstates under a fast driving scheme when no EPs are enclosed, while time-symmetric behavior occurs when at least one EP is encircled. Our findings offer insights into understanding non-Hermitian topological structures and the manipulation of quantum states through dynamic operations.
This paper explores the novel concept of topological eigenvalues within the realm of non-Hermitian quantum mechanics, focusing on their role in unveiling spectral singularities. Unlike conventional Hermitian systems, non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, which describe open systems with gain and loss, exhibit complex eigenvalues and unique spectral features such as exceptional points (EPs) where eigenvalues and their corresponding eigenvectors coalesce. We introduce the idea that certain eigenvalues in non-Hermitian systems possess an inherent topological character, dictated by the geometry of the parameter space and the winding properties of the characteristic polynomial. These topological eigenvalues are shown to be intimately linked to spectral singularities, which are non-Hermitian generalizations of bound states in the continuum or points of perfect reflection/transmission, characterized by infinite scattering amplitudes. We develop a theoretical framework to identify and characterize these topological eigenvalues, demonstrating how they emerge from the interplay of non-Hermiticity and underlying symmetries. Our findings reveal that the robust nature of these topological eigenvalues provides a new lens through which to understand the exotic phenomena observed in non-Hermitian systems, including the non-Hermitian skin effect and the breakdown of traditional bulk-boundary correspondence. This work opens new avenues for designing robust non-Hermitian devices and understanding fundamental aspects of open quantum systems.
We investigate the exceptional points (EPs) and their pseudospectra in black hole perturbation theory. By considering a Gaussian bump modification to the Regge-Wheeler potential with variable amplitude, position, and width parameters, (ε,d,σ0), a continuous line of EPs (exceptional line, EL) in this three-dimensional parameter space is revealed. Notably, the EL exhibits an anisotropic spectral response: parameters migrating along the EL direction leaves the coalesced QNM spectra nearly unchanged, while moving parameters away from the EL induces the characteristic ε1/2 scaling, highlighting the directional nature of spectral instability in exceptional structures. We find that the vorticity ν=±1/2 and the Berry phase γ=π for loops encircling the EL, while ν=0 and γ=0 for those do not encircle the EL. In the neighborhood of an eigenvalue, through matrix perturbation theory, we prove that the ε-pseudospectrum contour size scales as ε1/q at an EP , where q is the order of the largest Jordan block of the Hamiltonian-like operator associated with that eigenvalue, contrasting with the linear ε scaling at non-EPs. Numerical implements confirm this observation, demonstrating enhanced spectral instability at EPs for non-Hermitian systems including black holes.
Non-Hermitian systems exhibit spectral and topological phenomena absent in Hermitian physics; however, their geometric characterization remains subtle due to the intrinsic ambiguity of biorthogonal eigenspaces. Since left and right eigenvectors are not related by Hermitian conjugation, the associated Berry connection is generally nonunique, leading to complex geometric phases and ambiguously defined holonomies. Here we formulate a covariant geometric framework for non-Hermitian quantum systems based on the metric structure of the underlying Hilbert space. We show that, in the quantum regime with continuous state evolution, the conventional Berry connection and the associated Berry holonomy over closed parameter-space loops can be consistently defined only in the pseudo-Hermitian limit, where the spectrum is real. For generic non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with complex spectra, the relevant geometric object is instead the Aharonov--Anandan holonomy associated with cyclic evolution in projective Hilbert space. Within the pseudo-Hermitian regime, we construct a unique Hermitian Berry connection that is covariant under arbitrary GL(N,C) frame transformations and reduces to the standard Berry connection in the Hermitian limit. The resulting formalism separates the intrinsic geometry of the Hamiltonian eigenspace from contributions arising from the parameter dependence of the Hilbert-space metric, revealing that the conventional biorthogonal formulation generally mixes these distinct geometric effects. Consequently, geometric phases, synthetic gauge fields, and topological characteristics commonly attributed to non-Hermitian eigenspace geometry may, in part, originate from the underlying metric structure. Our framework therefore provides a consistent geometric foundation for Berry phases, non-Abelian holonomies, and topological invariants in non-Hermitian quantum systems.