Two-dimensional non-Hermitian skin effect in an ultracold Fermi gas

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhao, Entong, Wang, Zhiyuan, He, Chengdong, Poon, Ting Fung Jeffrey, Pak, Ka Kwan, Liu, Yu-Jun, Ren, Peng, Liu, Xiong-Jun, Jo, Gyu-Boong
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Zhao, Entong
Wang, Zhiyuan
He, Chengdong
Poon, Ting Fung Jeffrey
Pak, Ka Kwan
Liu, Yu-Jun
Ren, Peng
Liu, Xiong-Jun
Jo, Gyu-Boong
author_facet Zhao, Entong
Wang, Zhiyuan
He, Chengdong
Poon, Ting Fung Jeffrey
Pak, Ka Kwan
Liu, Yu-Jun
Ren, Peng
Liu, Xiong-Jun
Jo, Gyu-Boong
contents The concept of non-Hermiticity has expanded the understanding of band topology leading to the emergence of counter-intuitive phenomena. One example is the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE), which involves the concentration of eigenstates at the boundary. However, despite the potential insights that can be gained from high-dimensional non-Hermitian quantum systems in areas like curved space, high-order topological phases, and black holes, the realization of this effect in high dimensions remains unexplored. Here, we create a two-dimensional (2D) non-Hermitian topological band for ultracold fermions in spin-orbit-coupled optical lattices with tunable dissipation, which exhibits the NHSE. We first experimentally demonstrate pronounced nonzero spectral winding numbers in the complex energy plane with non-zero dissipation, which establishes the existence of 2D skin effect. Further, we observe the real-space dynamical signature of NHSE in real space by monitoring the center of mass motion of atoms. Finally, we also demonstrate that a pair of exceptional points (EPs) are created in the momentum space, connected by an open-ended bulk Fermi arc, in contrast to closed loops found in Hermitian systems. The associated EPs emerge and shift with increasing dissipation, leading to the formation of the Fermi arc. Our work sets the stage for further investigation into simulating non-Hermitian physics in high dimensions and paves the way for understanding the interplay of quantum statistics with NHSE.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2311_07931
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Two-dimensional non-Hermitian skin effect in an ultracold Fermi gas
Zhao, Entong
Wang, Zhiyuan
He, Chengdong
Poon, Ting Fung Jeffrey
Pak, Ka Kwan
Liu, Yu-Jun
Ren, Peng
Liu, Xiong-Jun
Jo, Gyu-Boong
Quantum Gases
Other Condensed Matter
Quantum Physics
The concept of non-Hermiticity has expanded the understanding of band topology leading to the emergence of counter-intuitive phenomena. One example is the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE), which involves the concentration of eigenstates at the boundary. However, despite the potential insights that can be gained from high-dimensional non-Hermitian quantum systems in areas like curved space, high-order topological phases, and black holes, the realization of this effect in high dimensions remains unexplored. Here, we create a two-dimensional (2D) non-Hermitian topological band for ultracold fermions in spin-orbit-coupled optical lattices with tunable dissipation, which exhibits the NHSE. We first experimentally demonstrate pronounced nonzero spectral winding numbers in the complex energy plane with non-zero dissipation, which establishes the existence of 2D skin effect. Further, we observe the real-space dynamical signature of NHSE in real space by monitoring the center of mass motion of atoms. Finally, we also demonstrate that a pair of exceptional points (EPs) are created in the momentum space, connected by an open-ended bulk Fermi arc, in contrast to closed loops found in Hermitian systems. The associated EPs emerge and shift with increasing dissipation, leading to the formation of the Fermi arc. Our work sets the stage for further investigation into simulating non-Hermitian physics in high dimensions and paves the way for understanding the interplay of quantum statistics with NHSE.
title Two-dimensional non-Hermitian skin effect in an ultracold Fermi gas
topic Quantum Gases
Other Condensed Matter
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.07931