Observation of non-Hermitian topology in a multi-terminal quantum Hall device

Abstract

Quantum devices characterized by non-Hermitian topology are predicted to show highly robust and potentially useful properties, but realizing them has remained a daunting experimental task. This is because non-Hermiticity is often associated with gain and loss, which would require precise tailoring to produce the signatures of nontrivial topology. Here, instead of gain/loss, we use the nonreciprocity of the quantum Hall edge states to directly observe non-Hermitian topology in a multi-terminal quantum Hall ring. Our transport measurements evidence a robust, non-Hermitian skin effect: currents and voltages show an exponential profile, which persists also across Hall plateau transitions away from the regime of maximum non-reciprocity. Our observation of non-Hermitian topology in a quantum device introduces a scalable experimental approach to construct and investigate generic non-Hermitian systems.