Complex Spectrum of a Spontaneously Unbroken PT Symmetric Hamiltonian

Observation of PT phase transition in a simple mechanical system

If a Hamiltonian is PT symmetric, there are two possibilities: Either the eigenvalues are entirely real, in which case the Hamiltonian is said to be in an unbroken-PT-symmetric phase, or else the eigenvalues are partly real and partly complex, in which case the Hamiltonian is said to be in a broken-PT-symmetric phase. As one varies the parameters of the Hamiltonian, one can pass through the phase transition that separates the unbroken and broken phases. This transition has recently been observed in a variety of laboratory experiments. This paper explains the phase transition in a simple and in…

To quantify the difference of $η$-inner products in $\cal PT$-symmetric theory

In this paper, we consider a typical continuous two dimensional $\cal PT$-symmetric Hamiltonian and propose two different approaches to quantitatively show the difference between the $η$-inner products. Despite the continuity of Hamiltonian, the $η$-inner product is not continuous in some sense. It is shown that the difference between the $η$-inner products of broken and unbroken $\cal PT$-symmetry is lower bounded. Moreover, such a property can lead to an uncertainty relation.

Psedo-hermitian Hamiltonians at finite temperature

The Double Green Function Formalism has been extensively used in dealing with the thermodynamics of quantum systems which evolved in time under the action of a given self-adjoint Hamiltonian. In this work, we extend the formalism to include pseudo-hermitian Hamiltonians. We apply the formalism to study the PT-symmetry Swanson Hamiltonian at finite temperature, both in the PT-unbroken and in the PT-broken symmetry phase. We analyse the behaviour of the system, which is initially at equilibrium at a given temperature, when it is perturbed by a periodic interaction.

Non self-adjoint Hamiltonians with complex eigenvalues

Motivated by what one observes dealing with PT-symmetric quantum mechanics, we discuss what happens if a physical system is driven by a diagonalizable Hamiltonian with not all real eigenvalues. In particular, we consider the functional structure related to systems living in finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, and we show that certain intertwining relations can be deduced also in this case if we introduce suitable antilinear operators. We also analyze a simple model, computing the transition probabilities in the broken and in the unbroken regime.

Systems of coupled PT-symmetric oscillators

The Hamiltonian for a PT-symmetric chain of coupled oscillators is constructed. It is shown that if the loss-gain parameter $γ$ is uniform for all oscillators, then as the number of oscillators increases, the region of unbroken PT-symmetry disappears entirely. However, if $γ$ is localized in the sense that it decreases for more distant oscillators, then the unbroken-PT-symmetric region persists even as the number of oscillators approaches infinity. In the continuum limit the oscillator system is described by a PT-symmetric pair of wave equations, and a localized loss-gain impurity leads to a p…

Rabi oscillations at the exceptional point in anti-parity-time symmetric diffusive systems

The motivation for this theoretical paper comes from recent experiments of a heat transfer system of two thermally coupled rings rotating in opposite directions with equal angular velocities that present anti-parity-time (APT) symmetry. The theoretical model predicted a rest-to-motion temperature distribution phase transition during the symmetry breaking for a particular rotation speed. In this work we show that the system exhibits a parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) phase transition at the exceptional point in which eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the corresponding non-Hermitian Hamiltonian coales…

Projective Geometry and $\cal PT$-Symmetric Dirac Hamiltonian

The $(3 + 1)$-dimensional (generalized) Dirac equation is shown to have the same form as the equation expressing the condition that a given point lies on a given line in 3-dimensional projective space. The resulting Hamiltonian with a $γ_5$ mass term is not Hermitian, but is invariant under the combined transformation of parity reflection $\cal P$ and time reversal $\cal T$. When the $\cal PT$ symmetry is unbroken, the energy spectrum of the free spin-$\frac {1}{2}$ theory is real, with an appropriately shifted mass.

New Exactly Solvable Isospectral Partners for PT Symmetric Potentials

We examine in detail the possibilty of applying Darboux transformation to non Hermitian hamiltonians. In particular we propose a simple method of constructing exactly solvable PT symmetric potentials by applying Darboux transformation to higher states of an exactly solvable PT symmetric potential. It is shown that the resulting hamiltonian and the original one are pseudo supersymmetric partners. We also discuss application of Darboux transformation to hamiltonians with spontaneously broken PT symmetry.

PT-Symmetry in Non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with complex boundary potentials

We study the parity- and time-reversal PT symmetric non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model with two conjugated imaginary potentials $\pm iγ$ at two end sites. The SSH model is known as one of the simplest two-band topological models which has topologically trivial and nontrivial phases. We find that the non-Hermitian terms can lead to different effects on the properties of the eigenvalues spectrum in topologically trivial and nontrivial phases. In the topologically trivial phase, the system undergos an abrupt transition from unbroken PT-symmetry region to spontaneously broken $\mathcal…

Calculation of the Hidden Symmetry Operator in PT-Symmetric Quantum Mechanics

In a recent paper it was shown that if a Hamiltonian H has an unbroken PT symmetry, then it also possesses a hidden symmetry represented by the linear operator C. The operator C commutes with both H and PT. The inner product with respect to CPT is associated with a positive norm and the quantum theory built on the associated Hilbert space is unitary. In this paper it is shown how to construct the operator C for the non-Hermitian PT-symmetric Hamiltonian $H={1\over2}p^2+{1\over2}x^2 +iεx^3$ using perturbative techniques. It is also shown how to construct the operator C for $H={1\over2}p^2+{1\ov…

Calculation of the Hidden Symmetry Operator for a $\cP\cT$-Symmetric Square Well

It has been shown that a Hamiltonian with an unbroken $\cP\cT$ symmetry also possesses a hidden symmetry that is represented by the linear operator $\cC$. This symmetry operator $\cC$ guarantees that the Hamiltonian acts on a Hilbert space with an inner product that is both positive definite and conserved in time, thereby ensuring that the Hamiltonian can be used to define a unitary theory of quantum mechanics. In this paper it is shown how to construct the operator $\cC$ for the $\cP\cT$-symmetric square well using perturbative techniques.

在NMR量子处理器上PT对称哈密顿量下量子相干性演化的实验演示

Experimental demonstration of the dynamics of quantum coherence evolving under a PT-symmetric Hamiltonian on an NMR quantum processor

本研究在NMR量子处理器上实验验证了最大纠缠双体态中PT对称哈密顿量下量子相干性的动力学，发现破缺相中全局相干性指数衰减而局域和总相干性冻结，实验结果与理论预测吻合。

Swanson哈密顿量含相互作用项的时序外关联器

Out-of-time-order correlators for Swanson Hamiltonian with interaction terms

本文通过计算非厄米振荡器模型（Swanson哈密顿量及其Kerr非线性扩展和参量驱动变体）的正则位置和动量算符的时序外关联器（OTOC），利用双正交形式主义分析PT对称量子力学中未破缺和破缺相的行为，揭示了可积性、非线性、驱动和PT对称性破缺对算符关联时间增长的影响，并刻画了奇异点附近的临界标度。

Observation of parity-time symmetry breaking in a single spin system

A fundamental axiom of quantum mechanics requires the Hamiltonians to be Hermitian which guarantees real eigen-energies and probability conservation. However, a class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with Parity-Time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry can still display entirely real spectra. The Hermiticity requirement may be replaced by $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry to develop an alternative formulation of quantum mechanics. A series of experiments have been carried out with classical systems including optics, electronics, microwaves, mechanics and acoustics. However, there are few experiments to investigate $…

Linear Response for pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian Systems: Application to PT-Symmetric Qubits

Motivated by the recent advances in modelling the pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian (pHH) systems using superconducting qubits we analyze their quantum dynamics subject to a small time-dependent perturbation. In particular, We develop the linear response theory formulation suitable for application to various pHH systems and compare it to the ones available in the literature. We derive analytical expressions for the generalized temporal quantum-mechanical correlation function $C(t)$ and the time-dependent dynamic susceptibility $χ(t) \propto \text{Im} ~C(t)$. We apply our results to two \textit{PT}-…

PT-symmetric square well and the associated SUSY hierarchies

The PT-symmetric square well problem is considered in a SUSY framework. When the coupling strength $Z$ lies below the critical value $Z_0^{\rm (crit)}$ where PT symmetry becomes spontaneously broken, we find a hierarchy of SUSY partner potentials, depicting an unbroken SUSY situation and reducing to the family of $\sec^2$-like potentials in the $Z \to 0$ limit. For $Z$ above $Z_0^{\rm (crit)}$, there is a rich diversity of SUSY hierarchies, including some with PT-symmetry breaking and some with partial PT-symmetry restoration.

Mapping between Hamiltonians with attractive and repulsive potentials on a lattice

Through a simple and exact analytical derivation, we show that for a particle on a lattice, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the spectra in the presence of an attractive potential $\hat{V}$ and its repulsive counterpart $-\hat{V}$. For a Hermitian potential, this result implies that the number of localized states is the same in both, attractive and repulsive, cases although these states occur above (below) the band-continnum for the repulsive (attractive) case. For a $\mP\mT$-symmetric potential that is odd under parity, our result implies that in the $\mP\mT$-unbroken phase, the e…

Behavior of eigenvalues in a region of broken-PT symmetry

PT-symmetric quantum mechanics began with a study of the Hamiltonian $H=p^2+x^2(ix)^\varepsilon$. When $\varepsilon\geq0$, the eigenvalues of this non-Hermitian Hamiltonian are discrete, real, and positive. This portion of parameter space is known as the region of unbroken PT symmetry. In the region of broken PT symmetry $\varepsilon<0$ only a finite number of eigenvalues are real and the remaining eigenvalues appear as complex-conjugate pairs. The region of unbroken PT symmetry has been studied but the region of broken PT symmetry has thus far been unexplored. This paper presents a detailed n…

Quantum counterpart of spontaneously broken classical PT symmetry

The classical trajectories of a particle governed by the PT-symmetric Hamiltonian $H=p^2+x^2(ix)^ε$ ($ε\geq0$) have been studied in depth. It is known that almost all trajectories that begin at a classical turning point oscillate periodically between this turning point and the corresponding PT-symmetric turning point. It is also known that there are regions in $ε$ for which the periods of these orbits vary rapidly as functions of $ε$ and that in these regions there are isolated values of $ε$ for which the classical trajectories exhibit spontaneously broken PT symmetry. The current paper examin…

Extending PT symmetry from Heisenberg algebra to E2 algebra

The E2 algebra has three elements, J, u, and v, which satisfy the commutation relations [u,J]=iv, [v,J]=-iu, [u,v]=0. We can construct the Hamiltonian H=J^2+gu, where g is a real parameter, from these elements. This Hamiltonian is Hermitian and consequently it has real eigenvalues. However, we can also construct the PT-symmetric and non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H=J^2+igu, where again g is real. As in the case of PT-symmetric Hamiltonians constructed from the elements x and p of the Heisenberg algebra, there are two regions in parameter space for this PT-symmetric Hamiltonian, a region of unbroken…

Pseudo-Hermitian systems with PT-symmetry: Degeneracy and Krein space

We show in the present paper that pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian systems with even PT-symmetry admit a degeneracy structure. This kind of degeneracy is expected traditionally in the odd PT-symmetric systems which is appropriate to the fermions as shown by Jones-Smith and Mathur [1] who extended PT-symmetric quantum mechanics to the case of odd time-reversal symmetry. We establish that the pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians with even PT-symmetry admit a degeneracy structure if the operator PT anticommutes with the metric operator η which is necessarily indefinite. We also show that the Krein space for…

Connecting active and passive $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric Floquet modulation models

Open systems with gain, loss, or both, described by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, have been a research frontier for the past decade. In particular, such Hamiltonians which possess parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry feature dynamically stable regimes of unbroken symmetry with completely real eigenspectra that are rendered into complex conjugate pairs as the strength of the non-Hermiticity increases. By subjecting a $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric system to a periodic (Floquet) driving, the regime of dynamical stability can be dramatically affected, leading to a frequency-dependent threshold for the $…

Complex Berry phase and imperfect non-Hermitian phase transitions

In many classical and quantum systems described by an effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, spectral phase transitions, from an entirely real energy spectrum to a complex spectrum, can be observed as a non-Hermitian parameter in the system is increased above a critical value. A paradigmatic example is provided by systems possessing parity-time (PT) symmetry, where the energy spectrum remains entirely real in the unbroken PT phase while a transition to complex energies is observed in the unbroken PT phase. Such spectral phase transitions are universally sharp. However, when the system is slowly …

Metric operators for non-Hermitian quadratic su(2) Hamiltonians

A class of non-Hermitian quadratic su(2) Hamiltonians having an anti-linear symmetry is constructed. This is achieved by analysing the possible symmetries of such systems in terms of automorphisms of the algebra. In fact, different realisations for this type of symmetry are obtained, including the natural occurrence of charge conjugation together with parity and time reversal. Once specified the underlying anti-linear symmetry of the Hamiltonian, the former, if unbroken, leads to a purely real spectrum and the latter can be mapped to a Hermitian counterpart by, amongst other possibilities, a s…

Real discrete spectrum in the complex non-PT-symmetric Scarf II potential

Hitherto, it is well known that complex PT-symmetric Scarf II has real discrete spectrum in the parametric domain of unbroken PT-symmetry. We reveal new interesting complex, non-PT-symmetric parametric domains of this versatile potential, $V(x)$, where the spectrum is again discrete and real. Showing that the Hamiltonian, $p^2/2m+V(x)$, in the new cases is pseudo-Hermitian could be challenging, if possible.

Green's Function of a General PT-Symmetric Non-Hermitian Non-central Potential

We study the path integral solution of a system of particle moving in certain class of PT symmetric non-Hermitian and non-central potential. The Hamil- tonian of the system is converted to a separable Hamiltonian of Liouville type in parabolic coordinates and is further mapped into a Hamiltonian corresponding to two 2-dimensional simple harmonic oscillators (SHOs). Thus the explicit Green's functions for a general non-central PT symmetric non hermitian potential are cal- culated in terms of that of 2d SHOs. The entire spectrum for this three dimensional system is shown to be always real leadin…

Solvable dilation model of $\cal PT$-symmetric systems

The dilation method is a practical way to experimentally simulate non-Hermitian, especially $\cal PT$-symmetric quantum systems. However, the time-dependent dilation problem cannot be explicitly solved in general. In this paper, we present a simple yet non-trivial exactly solvable dilation problem with two dimensional time-dependent $\cal PT$-symmetric Hamiltonian. Our system is initially set in the unbroken $\cal PT$-symmetric phase and later goes across the so-called exceptional point and enters the broken $\cal PT$-symmetric phase. For this system, the dilated Hamiltonian and the evolution …

PT-symmetric interpretation of the electromagnetic self-force

In 1980 Englert examined the classic problem of the electromagnetic self-force on an oscillating charged particle. His approach, which was based on an earlier idea of Bateman, was to introduce a charge-conjugate particle and to show that the two-particle system is Hamiltonian. Unfortunately, Englert's model did not solve the problem of runaway modes, and the corresponding quantum theory had ghost states. It is shown here that Englert's Hamiltonian is PT symmetric, and that the problems with his model arise because the PT symmetry is broken at both the classical and quantum level. However, by a…