Heat transport through an open coupled scalar field theory hosting stability-to-instability transition

Abstract

We investigate heat transport through a one-dimensional open coupled scalar field theory, depicted as a network of harmonic oscillators connected to thermal baths at the boundaries. The non-Hermitian dynamical matrix of the network undergoes a stability-to-instability transition at the exceptional points as the coupling strength between the scalar fields increases. The open network in the unstable regime, marked by the emergence of inverted oscillator modes, does not acquire a steady state, and the heat conduction is then unbounded for general bath couplings. In this work, we engineer a unique bath coupling where a single bath is connected to two fields at each edge with the same strength. This configuration leads to a finite steady-state heat conduction in the network, even in the unstable regime. We also study general bath couplings, e.g., connecting two fields to two separate baths at each boundary, which shows an exciting signature of approaching the unstable regime for massive fields. We derive analytical expressions for high-temperature classical heat current through the network for different bath couplings at the edges and compare them. Furthermore, we determine the temperature dependence of low-temperature quantum heat current in different cases. Our study will help to probe topological phases and phase transitions in various quadratic Hermitian bosonic models whose dynamical matrices resemble non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, hosting exciting topological phases.