No Arabic abstract
We propose a realization of topological quantum interference in a pumped non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattice that can be implemented by creation and coherent control of excitonic states of trapped neutral atoms. Our approach is based on realizing sudden delocalization of two localized topological edge states by switching the value of the laser phase controlling the lattice potential to quench the system from the topological to the gapless or trivial non-topological quantum phases of the system. We find interference patterns in the occupation probabilities of excitations on lattice sites, with a transition from a two-excitation interference seen in the absence of pumping to many-excitation interferences in the presence of pumping. Investigation of the excitation dynamics in both the topological and trivial non-topological phases shows that such interference patterns which originate in topology are drastically distinct from interference between non-topological states of the lattice. Our results also reveal that unlike well-known situations where topological states are protected against local perturbations, in these non-Hermitian SSH systems a local dissipation at each lattice site can suppress both the total population of the lattice in the topological phase and the interference of the topological states.
If a full band gap closes and then reopens when we continuously deform a periodic system while keeping its symmetry, a topological phase transition usually occurs. A common model demonstrating such a topological phase transition in condensed matter physics is the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model. As well known, two distinct topological phases emerge when the intracell hopping is tuned from smaller to larger with respect to the intercell hopping in the model. The former case is topologically trivial, while the latter case is topologically non-trivial. Here, we design a 1D periodic acoustic system in exact analogy to the SSH model. The unit cell of the acoustic system is composed of two resonators and two junction tubes connecting them. We show that the topological phase transition happens in our acoustic analog when we tune the radii of the junction tubes which control the intercell and intracell hoppings. The topological phase transition is characterized by the abrupt change of the geometric Zak phase. The topological interface states between non-trivial and trivial phases of our acoustic analog are experimentally measured, and the results agree very well with the numerical values. Further, we show that topologically non-trivial phases of our acoustic analog of the SSH model can support edge states, on which the discussion is absent in previous works about topological acoustics. The edge states are robust against localized defects and perturbations.
The usual Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with an even number of lattice sites possesses two degenerate zero energy modes. The degeneracy of the zero energy modes leads to the mixing between the topological left and right edge states, which makes it difficult to implement the state transfer via topological edge channel. Here, enlightened by the Rice-Male topological pumping, we find that the staggered periodic next-nearest neighbor hoppings can also separate the initial mixed edge states, which ensures the state transfer between topological left and right edge states. Significantly, we construct an unique topological state transfer channel by introducing the staggered periodic on-site potentials and the periodic next-nearest neighbor hoppings added only on the odd sites simultaneously, and find that the state initially prepared at the last site can be transfered to the first two sites with the same probability distribution. This special topological state transfer channel is expected to realize a topological beam splitter, whose function is to make the initial photon at one position appear at two different positions with the same probability. Further, we demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the topological beam splitter based on the circuit quantum electrodynamic lattice. Our scheme opens up a new way for the realization of topological quantum information processing and provides a new path towards the engineering of new type of quantum optical device.
We propose an implementation of a generalized Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model based on optomechanical arrays. The topological properties of the generalized SSH model depend on the effective optomechanical interactions enhanced by strong driving optical fields. Three phases including one trivial and two distinct topological phases are found in the generalized SSH model. The phase transition can be observed by turning the strengths and phases of the effective optomechanical interactions via adjusting the external driving fields. Moreover, four types of edge states can be created in generalized SSH model of an open chain under single-particle excitation, and the dynamical behaviors of the excitation in the open chain are related to the topological properties under the periodic boundary condition. We show that the edge states can be pumped adiabatically along the optomechanical arrays by periodically modulating the amplitude and frequency of the driving fields. The generalized SSH model based on the optomechanical arrays provides us a tunable platform to engineer topological phases for photons and phonons, which may have potential applications in controlling the transport of photons and phonons.
We demonstrate a platform for synthetic dimensions based on coupled Rydberg levels in ultracold atoms, and we implement the single-particle Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) Hamiltonian. Rydberg levels are interpreted as synthetic lattice sites, with tunneling introduced through resonant millimeter-wave couplings. Tunneling amplitudes are controlled through the millimeter-wave amplitudes, and on-site potentials are controlled through detunings of the millimeter waves from resonance. Using alternating weak and strong tunneling with weak tunneling to edge lattice sites, we attain a configuration with symmetry-protected topological edge states. The band structure is probed through optical excitation to the Rydberg levels from the ground state, which reveals topological edge states at zero energy. We verify that edge-state energies are robust to perturbation of tunneling-rates, which preserves chiral symmetry, but can be shifted by the introduction of on-site potentials.
For non-Hermitian quantum models, the dynamics is apparently not reflected by the static properties, e.g., the complex energy spectrum, because of the nonorthogonality of the right eigenvectors, the nonunitarity of the time evolution, the breakdown of the adiabatic theory, etc., but in experiments the time evolution of an initial state is commonly used. Here, we pay attention to the dynamics of an initial end state in nonreciprocal Su-Schrieffer-Heeger models under open boundary conditions, and we find that it is dynamically more robust than its Hermitian counterpart, because the non-Hermitian skin effect can suppress the part leaking to the bulk sites. To observe this, we propose a classical electric circuit with only a few passive inductors and capacitors, the mapping of which to the quantum model is established. This work explains how the non-Hermitian skin effect enhances the robustness of the topological end state, and it offers an easy way, via the classical electric circuit, of studying the nonreciprocal quantum dynamics, which may stimulate more dynamical studies of non-Hermitian models in other platforms.