The $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry-breaking transition in a chain of trapped interacting ions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Hu, Zhenxin, Yu, Zhenhua
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Hu, Zhenxin
Yu, Zhenhua
author_facet Hu, Zhenxin
Yu, Zhenhua
contents Trapped ions are an ideal platform to implement quantum simulation. Previously the parity-time reversal ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry-breaking transition in the paradigmatic non-Hermitian Hamiltonian $h_{PT}=Jσ_x-iΓσ_z$ has been observed in a single ion experiment in a passive way. In this work, we propose to study the interaction effects on the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry-breaking transition in a chain of $N$ trapped interacting ions. We consider an effective Ising interaction $H^\text{Ising-x}_\text{int} =\sum_{j<k}U_{jk}σ_x^jσ_x^k$ between the ions on top of $h_{PT}$. We find that sufficiently strong interaction strength can enhance the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric phase for even $N$ while the phase is suppressed in all the other cases. In particular, the suppression can be so strong that even infinitesimal dissipation, quantified by $Γ$, can turn the system into the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry-breaking phase. In addition, we assess the convolved effects due to the coupling and the spin phase shifts. Our findings can be readily tested in ion chain experiments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_20091
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry-breaking transition in a chain of trapped interacting ions
Hu, Zhenxin
Yu, Zhenhua
Quantum Gases
Trapped ions are an ideal platform to implement quantum simulation. Previously the parity-time reversal ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry-breaking transition in the paradigmatic non-Hermitian Hamiltonian $h_{PT}=Jσ_x-iΓσ_z$ has been observed in a single ion experiment in a passive way. In this work, we propose to study the interaction effects on the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry-breaking transition in a chain of $N$ trapped interacting ions. We consider an effective Ising interaction $H^\text{Ising-x}_\text{int} =\sum_{j<k}U_{jk}σ_x^jσ_x^k$ between the ions on top of $h_{PT}$. We find that sufficiently strong interaction strength can enhance the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric phase for even $N$ while the phase is suppressed in all the other cases. In particular, the suppression can be so strong that even infinitesimal dissipation, quantified by $Γ$, can turn the system into the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry-breaking phase. In addition, we assess the convolved effects due to the coupling and the spin phase shifts. Our findings can be readily tested in ion chain experiments.
title The $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry-breaking transition in a chain of trapped interacting ions
topic Quantum Gases
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.20091