arXiv subjects

Frantisek Ruzicka

Publications and source records attributed to Frantisek Ruzicka.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Conserved quantities, exceptional points, and antilinear symmetries in non-Hermitian systems

Over the past two decades, open systems that are described by a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian have become a subject of intense research. These systems encompass classical wave systems with balanced gain and loss, semiclassical models with mode selective losses, and minimal quantum systems, and the meteoric research on them has mainly focused on the wide range of novel functionalities they demonstrate. Here, we address the following questions: Does anything remain constant in the dynamics of such open systems? What are the consequences of such conserved quantities? Through spectral-decomposition method and explicit, recursive procedure, we obtain all conserved observables for general $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric systems. We then generalize the analysis to Hamiltonians with other antilinear symmetries, and discuss the consequences of conservation laws for open systems. We illustrate our findings with several physically motivated examples.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Quantum information dynamics in a high-dimensional parity-time-symmetric system

Non-Hermitian systems with parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry give rise to exceptional points (EPs) with exceptional properties that arise due to the coalescence of eigenvectors. Such systems have been extensively explored in the classical domain, where second or higher order EPs have been proposed or realized. In contrast, quantum information studies of $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric systems have been confined to systems with a two-dimensional Hilbert space. Here by using a single-photon interferometry setup, we simulate quantum dynamics of a four-dimensional $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric system across a fourth-order exceptional point. By tracking the coherent, non-unitary evolution of the density matrix of the system in $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry unbroken and broken regions, we observe the entropy dynamics for both the entire system, and the gain and loss subsystems. Our setup is scalable to the higher-dimensional $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric systems, and our results point towards the rich dynamics and critical properties.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Conserved quantities in parity-time symmetric systems

Conserved quantities such as energy or the electric charge of a closed system, or the Runge-Lenz vector in Kepler dynamics are determined by its global, local, or accidental symmetries. They were instrumental to advances such as the prediction of neutrinos in the (inverse) beta decay process and the development of self-consistent approximate methods for isolated or thermal many-body systems. In contrast, little is known about conservation laws and their consequences in open systems. Recently, a special class of these systems, called parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetric systems, has been intensely explored for their remarkable properties that are absent in their closed counterparts. A complete characterization and observation of conserved quantities in these systems and their consequences is still lacking. Here we present a complete set of conserved observables for a broad class of $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric Hamiltonians and experimentally demonstrate their properties using single-photon linear optical circuit. By simulating the dynamics of a four-site system across a fourth-order exceptional point, we measure its four conserved quantities and demonstrate their consequences. Our results spell out non-local conservation laws in non-unitary dynamics and provide key elements that will underpin self-consistent analysis of non-Hermitian quantum many-body systems that are forthcoming.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Quasi-hermitian lattices with imaginary zero-range interactions

We study a general class of PT-symmetric tridiagonal Hamiltonians with purely imaginary interaction terms in the quasi-hermitian representation of quantum mechanics. Our general Hamiltonian encompasses many previously studied lattice models as special cases. We provide numerical results regarding domains of observability and exceptional points, and discuss the possibility of explicit construction of general metric operators (which in turn determine all the physical Hilbert spaces). The condition of computational simplicity for the metrics motivates the introduction of certain one-parametric special cases, which consequently admit closed-form extrapolation patterns of the low-dimensional results.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Hilbert space inner products for PT-symmetric Su-Schrieffer-Heeger models

A Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with added PT-symmetric boundary term is studied in the framework of pseudo-hermitian quantum mechanics. For two special cases, a complete set of pseudometrics is constructed in closed form. When complemented with a condition of positivity, the pseudometrics determine all the physical inner products of the considered model.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Multiply Degenerate Exceptional Points and Quantum Phase Transitions

The realization of a genuine phase transition in quantum mechanics requires that at least one of the Kato's exceptional-point parameters becomes real. A new family of finite-dimensional and time-parametrized quantum-lattice models with such a property is proposed and studied. All of them exhibit, at a real exceptional-point time $t=0$, the Jordan-block spectral degeneracy structure of some of their observables sampled by Hamiltonian $H(t)$ and site-position $Q(t)$. The passes through the critical instant $t=0$ are interpreted as schematic simulations of non-equivalent versions of the Big-Bang-like quantum catastrophes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

Three solvable matrix models of a quantum catastrophe

Three classes of finite-dimensional models of quantum systems exhibiting spectral degeneracies called quantum catastrophes are described in detail. Computer-assisted symbolic manipulation techniques are shown unexpectedly efficient for the purpose.

quant-ph↗