No Arabic abstract
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.
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.
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.
We investigate dissipative extensions of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with regard to different approaches of modeling dissipation. In doing so, we use two distinct frameworks to describe the gain and loss of particles, one uses Lindblad operators within the scope of Lindblad master equations, the other uses complex potentials as an effective description of dissipation. The reservoirs are chosen in such a way that the non-Hermitian complex potentials are $mathcal{PT}$-symmetric. From the effective theory we extract a state which has similar properties as the non-equilibrium steady state following from Lindblad master equations with respect to lattice site occupation. We find considerable similarities in the spectra of the effective Hamiltonian and the corresponding Liouvillean. Further, we generalize the concept of the Zak phase to the dissipative scenario in terms of the Lindblad description and relate it to the topological phases of the underlying Hermitian Hamiltonian.
We investigate the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model in presence of an injection and removal of particles, introduced via a master equation in Lindblad form. It is shown that the dynamics of the density matrix follows the predictions of calculations in which the gain and loss are modeled by complex $mathcal{PT}$-symmetric potentials. In particular it is found that there is a clear distinction in the dynamics between the topologically different cases known from the stationary eigenstates.
In this paper we study the formation of topological Tamm states at the interface between a semi-infinite one-dimensional photonic-crystal and a metal. We show that when the system is topologically non-trivial there is a single Tamm state in each of the band-gaps, whereas if it is topologically trivial the band-gaps host no Tamm states. We connect the disappearance of the Tamm states with a topological transition from a topologically non-trivial system to a topologically trivial one. This topological transition is driven by the modification of the dielectric functions in the unit cell. Our interpretation is further supported by an exact mapping between the solutions of Maxwells equations and the existence of a tight-binding representation of those solutions. We show that the tight-binding representation of the 1D photonic crystal, based on Maxwells equations, corresponds to a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger-type model (SSH-model) for each set of pairs of bands. Expanding this representation near the band edge we show that the system can be described by a Dirac-like Hamiltonian. It allows one to characterize the topology associated with the solution of Maxwells equations via the winding number. In addition, for the infinite system, we provide an analytical expression for the photonic bands from which the band-gaps can be computed.