Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Advances in Mathematical Physics

Loss, Gain, and Singular Points in Open Quantum Systems

Hichem Eleuch, I. Rotter

Published Sep 2, 2018• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Non-Hermitian quantum physics is used successfully for the description of different puzzling experimental results, which are observed in open quantum systems. Mostly, the influence of exceptional points on the dynamical properties of the system is studied. At these points, two complex eigenvalues Ei≡Ei+iΓi/2 of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H coalesce (where Ei is the energy and Γi is the inverse lifetime of the state i ). We show that also the eigenfunctions Φi of the two states play an important role, sometimes even the dominant one. Besides exceptional points, other critical points exist in non-Hermitian quantum physics. At these points a=acr in the parameter space, the biorthogonal eigenfunctions of H become orthogonal. For illustration, we show characteristic numerical results.

DOI
10.1155/2018/3653851

Related papers

Non-Hermitian Quantum Physics of Open Systems

I. Rotter

Information on quantum systems can be obtained only when they are open (or opened) in relation to a certain environment. As a matter of fact, realistic open quantum systems appear in very different shape. We sketch the theoretical description of open quantum systems by means of a projection operator formalism elaborated many years ago, and applied by now to the description of different open quantum systems. The Hamiltonian describing the open quantum system is non-Hermitian. Most studied are the eigenvalues of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian of many-particle systems embedded in one environment. We point to the unsolved problems of this method when applied to the description of realistic many-body systems. We then underline the role played by the eigenfunctions of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. Very interesting results originate from the fluctuations of the eigenfunctions in systems with gain and loss of excitons. They occur with an efficiency of nearly 100\%. An example is the photosynthesis.

arXiv:1707.03298•Jul 11, 2017•1 citation

Topological Eigenvalues: Unveiling Non-Hermitian Spectral Singularities

PAULO SÉRGIO DE ANDRADE

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.

•Nov 22, 2025•0 citations

Non-Hermitian formalism and nonlinear physics

Hichem Eleuch, I. Rotter

The non-Hermitian formalism is used at present in many papers for the description of open quantum systems. A special language developed in this field of physics which makes it difficult for many physicists to follow and to understand the corresponding papers. We show that the characteristic features of the non-Hermitian formalism are nothing but nonlinearities that may appear in the equations when the Hamiltonian is non-Hermitian. They are related directly to singular points (called mostly exceptional points, EPs). At low level density, they may cause counterintuitive physical results which allow us to explain some puzzling experimental results. At high level density, they determine the dynamics of the system.

arXiv:1812.03897•Dec 10, 2018•1 citation

Experimental Liouvillian exceptional points in a quantum system without Hamiltonian singularities

Shilan Abo, Patrycja Tulewicz, Karol Bartkiewicz +2 more

Abstract Hamiltonian exceptional points (HEPs) are spectral degeneracies of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians describing classical and semiclassical open systems with losses and/or gain. However, this definition overlooks the occurrence of quantum jumps in the evolution of open quantum systems. These quantum effects are properly accounted for by considering quantum Liouvillians and their exceptional points (LEPs). Specifically, an LEP corresponds to the coalescence of two or more eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenmatrices of a given Liouvillian at critical values of external parameters (Minganti et al 2019 Phys. Rev. A 100 062131). Here, we explicitly describe how standard quantum process tomography, which reveals the dynamics of a quantum system, can be readily applied to detect and characterize quantum LEPs of quantum non-Hermitian systems. We conducted experiments on an IBM quantum processor to implement a prototype model with one-, two-, and three qubits simulating the decay of a single qubit through competing channels, resulting in LEPs but not HEPs. Subsequently, we performed tomographic reconstruction of the corresponding experimental Liouvillian and its LEPs using both single- and two-qubit operations. This example underscores the efficacy of process tomography in tuning and observing LEPs even in the absence of HEPs.

arXiv:2401.14993•New Journal of Physics•Nov 29, 2024•25 citations

Exceptional points and dynamics of a non-Hermitian two-level system without PT symmetry

Qiu Wang, Jiao Wang, H. Z. Shen +2 more

In this work, taking the most general non-Hermitian Hamiltonian without parity-time symmetry and with non-Hermitian off-diagonal elements into account, we study the exceptional points of the model system. We find that there exists an exceptional ellipse in theory, compared with the exceptional ring studied in non-Hermitian symmetry Hamiltonian, in which the parameters in the model Hamiltonian take particular values. We also report on the dynamics of the model Hamiltonian and symmetry Hamiltonian. We find that they display different dynamical behaviors under different parameters. Moreover, there exists an unstable behavior of the system. The unstable behavior has a surprising property by which the gain always dominates at long times no matter how small the gain is. This phenomenon enables the compensation for losses in dissipative systems and opens a wide range of applications in quantum optics, plasmonics, and optoelectronics, where the loss is inevitable but can be compensated by the gain.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Aug 26, 2020•10 citations

Quantum systems with balanced gain and loss, signatures of branch points, and dissociation effects

Holger Cartarius

Gain and loss to the wave function of quantum mechanics can in a convenient way be modelled by effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. Imaginary contributions to the potential introduce source and drain terms for the probability amplitude. A special class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians are those which possess a parity-time symmetry. In spite of their non-Hermiticity these Hamiltonians allow for real energy eigenvalues, i.e. the existence of stationary states in the presence of balanced gain and loss. This effect has been identified theoretically in a large number of quantum systems. Its existence has also been proved experimentally in coupled optical wave guides. The wave guides are, however, only optical analogues of quantum systems. In the first part of this thesis it is shown from the theoretical side that Bose-Einstein condensates in a double-well setup are an ideal candidate for a first experimental realisation of a genuine quantum system with parity-time symmetry. When particles are removed from one well and coherently injected into the other the external potential is parity-time symmetric. To investigate the system the underlying time-independent and time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equations are solved numerically. It turns out that a subtle interplay between the nonlinearity of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation and the gain-loss effect leads to a complicated dynamics of the condensate wave function. However, the most important result is the existence of stationary states that are sufficiently stable to be observable in an experiment. Two suggestions for experimental realisations are presented. They are based on the idea of embedding the non-Hermitian parity-time-symmetric system into a larger structure described by a Hermitian Hamiltonian. A further effect of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians are so-called exceptional points, at which two resonances coalesce such that both their eigenvalues and wave functions become identical. It is shown that an exceptional point can unambiguously be identified by a characteristic non-exponential decay of the resonances. With numerically exact calculations for the hydrogen atom in crossed electric and magnetic fields this effect is verified in an experimentally accessible quantum system. The second part of the thesis is devoted to semiclassical Gaussian approximations to the Boltzmann operator, which have become an important tool for the investigation of thermodynamic properties of clusters of atoms at low temperatures. A numerically cheap frozen Gaussian approximation to the imaginary time propagator with a width matrix especially suited for the dynamics of clusters is developed. It is applied to the cases of Ar3 and Ar6. For these clusters classical-like transitions in one step from a bounded moiety to free particles are found for increasing temperatures. Additionally, the structure of the Ar6 cluster is studied in the bound configuration and during the dissociation. Quantum effects, i.e. differences with the purely classical case, manifest themselves in the low-temperature behaviour of the mean energy and specific heat as well as in a slight shift of the transition temperature. A first-order correction to the semiclassical propagator is used to improve the results of the calculation for Ar3, and it is shown how the correction can be used to objectively assess the validity of the frozen Gaussian approximation.

•Jan 1, 2014•1 citation
Non-Hermitian quantum physics is used successfully for the description of different puzzling experimental results, which are observed in open quantum systems. Mostly, the influence of exceptional points on the dynamical properties of the system is studied. At these points, two complex eigenvalues Ei≡Ei+iΓi/2 of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H coalesce (where Ei is the energy and Γi is the inverse lifetime of the state i ). We show that also the eigenfunctions Φi of the two states play an important role, sometimes even the dominant one. Besides exceptional points, other critical points exist in non-Hermitian quantum physics. At these points a=acr in the parameter space, the biorthogonal eigenfunctions of H become orthogonal. For illustration, we show characteristic numerical results.
Information on quantum systems can be obtained only when they are open (or opened) in relation to a certain environment. As a matter of fact, realistic open quantum systems appear in very different shape. We sketch the theoretical description of open quantum systems by means of a projection operator formalism elaborated many years ago, and applied by now to the description of different open quantum systems. The Hamiltonian describing the open quantum system is non-Hermitian. Most studied are the eigenvalues of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian of many-particle systems embedded in one environment. We point to the unsolved problems of this method when applied to the description of realistic many-body systems. We then underline the role played by the eigenfunctions of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. Very interesting results originate from the fluctuations of the eigenfunctions in systems with gain and loss of excitons. They occur with an efficiency of nearly 100\%. An example is the photosynthesis.
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.
The non-Hermitian formalism is used at present in many papers for the description of open quantum systems. A special language developed in this field of physics which makes it difficult for many physicists to follow and to understand the corresponding papers. We show that the characteristic features of the non-Hermitian formalism are nothing but nonlinearities that may appear in the equations when the Hamiltonian is non-Hermitian. They are related directly to singular points (called mostly exceptional points, EPs). At low level density, they may cause counterintuitive physical results which allow us to explain some puzzling experimental results. At high level density, they determine the dynamics of the system.
Abstract Hamiltonian exceptional points (HEPs) are spectral degeneracies of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians describing classical and semiclassical open systems with losses and/or gain. However, this definition overlooks the occurrence of quantum jumps in the evolution of open quantum systems. These quantum effects are properly accounted for by considering quantum Liouvillians and their exceptional points (LEPs). Specifically, an LEP corresponds to the coalescence of two or more eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenmatrices of a given Liouvillian at critical values of external parameters (Minganti et al 2019 Phys. Rev. A 100 062131). Here, we explicitly describe how standard quantum process tomography, which reveals the dynamics of a quantum system, can be readily applied to detect and characterize quantum LEPs of quantum non-Hermitian systems. We conducted experiments on an IBM quantum processor to implement a prototype model with one-, two-, and three qubits simulating the decay of a single qubit through competing channels, resulting in LEPs but not HEPs. Subsequently, we performed tomographic reconstruction of the corresponding experimental Liouvillian and its LEPs using both single- and two-qubit operations. This example underscores the efficacy of process tomography in tuning and observing LEPs even in the absence of HEPs.
In this work, taking the most general non-Hermitian Hamiltonian without parity-time symmetry and with non-Hermitian off-diagonal elements into account, we study the exceptional points of the model system. We find that there exists an exceptional ellipse in theory, compared with the exceptional ring studied in non-Hermitian symmetry Hamiltonian, in which the parameters in the model Hamiltonian take particular values. We also report on the dynamics of the model Hamiltonian and symmetry Hamiltonian. We find that they display different dynamical behaviors under different parameters. Moreover, there exists an unstable behavior of the system. The unstable behavior has a surprising property by which the gain always dominates at long times no matter how small the gain is. This phenomenon enables the compensation for losses in dissipative systems and opens a wide range of applications in quantum optics, plasmonics, and optoelectronics, where the loss is inevitable but can be compensated by the gain.
Gain and loss to the wave function of quantum mechanics can in a convenient way be modelled by effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. Imaginary contributions to the potential introduce source and drain terms for the probability amplitude. A special class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians are those which possess a parity-time symmetry. In spite of their non-Hermiticity these Hamiltonians allow for real energy eigenvalues, i.e. the existence of stationary states in the presence of balanced gain and loss. This effect has been identified theoretically in a large number of quantum systems. Its existence has also been proved experimentally in coupled optical wave guides. The wave guides are, however, only optical analogues of quantum systems. In the first part of this thesis it is shown from the theoretical side that Bose-Einstein condensates in a double-well setup are an ideal candidate for a first experimental realisation of a genuine quantum system with parity-time symmetry. When particles are removed from one well and coherently injected into the other the external potential is parity-time symmetric. To investigate the system the underlying time-independent and time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equations are solved numerically. It turns out that a subtle interplay between the nonlinearity of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation and the gain-loss effect leads to a complicated dynamics of the condensate wave function. However, the most important result is the existence of stationary states that are sufficiently stable to be observable in an experiment. Two suggestions for experimental realisations are presented. They are based on the idea of embedding the non-Hermitian parity-time-symmetric system into a larger structure described by a Hermitian Hamiltonian. A further effect of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians are so-called exceptional points, at which two resonances coalesce such that both their eigenvalues and wave functions become identical. It is shown that an exceptional point can unambiguously be identified by a characteristic non-exponential decay of the resonances. With numerically exact calculations for the hydrogen atom in crossed electric and magnetic fields this effect is verified in an experimentally accessible quantum system. The second part of the thesis is devoted to semiclassical Gaussian approximations to the Boltzmann operator, which have become an important tool for the investigation of thermodynamic properties of clusters of atoms at low temperatures. A numerically cheap frozen Gaussian approximation to the imaginary time propagator with a width matrix especially suited for the dynamics of clusters is developed. It is applied to the cases of Ar3 and Ar6. For these clusters classical-like transitions in one step from a bounded moiety to free particles are found for increasing temperatures. Additionally, the structure of the Ar6 cluster is studied in the bound configuration and during the dissociation. Quantum effects, i.e. differences with the purely classical case, manifest themselves in the low-temperature behaviour of the mean energy and specific heat as well as in a slight shift of the transition temperature. A first-order correction to the semiclassical propagator is used to improve the results of the calculation for Ar3, and it is shown how the correction can be used to objectively assess the validity of the frozen Gaussian approximation.