Dirac exceptional points (EPs) represent a novel class of non-Hermitian singularities that, unlike conventional EPs, reside entirely within the parity-time unbroken phase and exhibit linear energy dispersion. Here, we theoretically investigate the quantum geometry of Dirac EPs realized in nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, utilizing fidelity susceptibility as a probe. We demonstrate that despite the absence of a symmetry-breaking phase transition, the Dirac EP induces a pronounced geometric singularity, confirming the validity of fidelity in characterizing non-Hermitian EPs. Specifically, the real part of the fidelity susceptibility diverges to negative infinity, which serves as a signature of non-Hermitian criticality. Crucially, however, we reveal that this divergence exhibits a distinct anisotropy, diverging along the non-reciprocal coupling direction while remaining finite along the detuning axis. This behavior stands in stark contrast to the omnidirectional divergence observed in conventional EPs. Our findings provide a comprehensive picture of the fidelity probe near the Dirac EP, highlighting the critical role of parameter directionality in exploiting Dirac EPs for quantum control and sensing applications.
Dirac exceptional points (EPs) represent a novel class of non-Hermitian singularities that, unlike conventional EPs, reside entirely within the parity-time unbroken phase and exhibit linear energy dispersion. Here, we theoretically investigate the quantum geometry of Dirac EPs realized in nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, utilizing fidelity susceptibility as a probe. We demonstrate that despite the absence of a symmetry-breaking phase transition, the Dirac EP induces a pronounced geometric singularity, confirming the validity of fidelity in characterizing non-Hermitian EPs. Specifically, the real part of the fidelity susceptibility diverges to negative infinity, which serves as a signature of non-Hermitian criticality. Crucially, however, we reveal that this divergence exhibits a distinct anisotropy, diverging along the non-reciprocal coupling direction while remaining finite along the detuning axis. This behavior stands in stark contrast to the omnidirectional divergence observed in conventional EPs. Our findings provide a comprehensive picture of the fidelity probe near the Dirac EP, highlighting the critical role of parameter directionality in exploiting Dirac EPs for quantum control and sensing applications.
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.
Abstract The exceptional points (EPs) of non-Hermitian systems, where n different energy eigenstates merge into an identical one, have many intriguing properties that have no counterparts in Hermitian systems. In particular, the ϵ 1 / n dependence of the energy level splitting on a perturbative parameter ϵ near an n th order EP stimulates the idea of metrology with arbitrarily high sensitivity, since the susceptibility d ϵ 1/ n /d ϵ diverges at the EP. Here we theoretically study the sensitivity of parameter estimation near the EPs, using the exact formalism of quantum Fisher information (QFI). The QFI formalism allows the highest sensitivity to be determined without specifying a specific measurement approach. We find that the EP bears no dramatic enhancement of the sensitivity. Instead, the coalescence of the eigenstates exactly counteracts the eigenvalue susceptibility divergence and makes the sensitivity a smooth function of the perturbative parameter.
The exceptional point, known as the non-Hermitian degeneracy, has special topological structure, leading to various counterintuitive phenomena and novel applications, which are refreshing our cognition of quantum physics. One particularly intriguing behavior is the mode switch phenomenon induced by dynamically encircling an exceptional point in the parameter space. While these mode switches have been explored in classical systems, the experimental investigation in the quantum regime remains elusive due to the difficulty of constructing time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonians in a real quantum system. Here we experimentally demonstrate dynamically encircling the exceptional point with a single nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. The time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonians are realized utilizing a dilation method. Both the asymmetric and symmetric mode switches have been observed. Our Letter reveals the topological structure of the exceptional point and paves the way to comprehensively explore the exotic properties of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians in the quantum regime.
The fidelity susceptibility is a tool for studying quantum phase transitions in the Hermitian condensed matter systems. Recently, it has been generalized with the biorthogonal basis for the non-Hermitian quantum systems. From the general perturbation description with the constraint of parity-time (PT) symmetry, we show that the fidelity F is always real for the PT-unbroken states. For the PT-broken states, the real part of the fidelity susceptibility Re[XF] is corresponding to considering both the PT partner states, and the negative infinity is explored by the perturbation theory when the parameter approaches the exceptional point (EP). Moreover, at the second-order EP, we prove that the real part of the fidelity between PT-unbroken and PT-broken states is ReF=12 . Based on these general properties, we study the two-legged non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model and the non-Hermitian XXZ spin chain. We find that for both interacting and non-interacting systems, the real part of fidelity susceptibility density goes to negative infinity when the parameter approaches the EP, and verifies it is a second-order EP by ReF=12 .
Non-Hermitian quantum systems exhibit qualitatively distinct physical behavior compared to Hermitian systems, a prime example being spectral singularities known as exceptional points. Their relevance in, e.g., quantum sensing, unidirectional transport, and robust lasing makes it important to be able to identify exceptional points through observable features of a many-body system. Here, using as an example a one-dimensional complex XY spin chain realizing both rotation-time RT- and parity-time PT-symmetric regimes, we develop a framework for detecting exceptional points based on the distinction between left and right eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian, which in a non-Hermitian system are no longer the adjoint of each other. We first show that a global measure constructed from the difference between the Hamiltonian and its adjoint locates exceptional points via distinct non-analytic behavior. At the level of observables, differences in local spin correlations evaluated on the right and left eigenstates provide a reliable static detection scheme. In contrast, static bipartite entanglement measures fail to capture this distinction, urging us to study the quantum dynamics of the model. Following a sudden quench, we demonstrate that the time-averaged right-left entanglement entropy difference directly encodes signatures of the exceptional point. In the RT-symmetric regime, it exhibits a pronounced peak at the exceptional point, whereas in the PT-symmetric regime it behaves as an order-parameter-like quantity, remaining finite in one phase and vanishing at the transition. Our results establish a direct link between the structure of non-Hermitian eigenstates and observable signatures of exceptional points, providing a practical route to identify them in existing quantum simulators.
Exceptional points (EPs) are the spectral singularities and one of the central concepts of non-Hermitian physics, originating from the inevitable energy exchange with the surrounding environment. EPs exist in diverse physical systems and give rise to many counterintuitive effects, offering rich opportunities to control the dynamics and alter the properties of optical, electronic, acoustic, and mechanical states. The last two decades have witnessed the flourishing of non-Hermitian physics and associated applications related to coalesced eigenstates at EPs in a plethora of classical systems. While stemming from the quantum mechanism, the implementation of EPs in real quantum systems still faces challenges of tuning and stabilizing the systems at EPs, as well as the additional noises that hinder the observation of relevant phenomena. This review mainly focuses on summarizing the current efforts and opportunities offered by quantum EPs that result from or produce observable quantum effects. We introduce the concepts of Hamiltonian and Liouvillian EPs in the quantum regime and focus on their different properties in connection with quantum jumps and decoherence. We then provide a comprehensive discussion covering the theoretical and experimental advances in accessing EPs in diverse quantum systems and platforms. Special attention is paid to EP-based quantum-optics applications with state-of-art technologies. Finally, we present a discussion on the existing challenges of constructing quantum EPs at the nanoscale and an outlook on the fundamental science and applied technologies of quantum EPs, aiming to provide valuable insights for future research and building quantum devices with high performance and advanced functionalities.