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Silvio Barandun

Publications and source records attributed to Silvio Barandun.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Anderson transition in disordered Hatano-Nelson systems

We illuminate the fundamental mechanism responsible for the transition between the non-Hermitian skin effect and defect-induced Anderson localization in the bulk via the study of Lyapunov exponents. We obtain a proof that the change of the topological invariant associated with an eigenvalue coincides with the eigenvector crossover from non-Hermitian skin effect to Anderson localization, establishing a universal criterion for localization behavior.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗
arXiv2025

Competing edge and bulk localisation in non-reciprocal disordered systems

We investigate the competing mechanisms of localisation in one-dimensional block disordered subwavelength resonator systems subject to non-reciprocal damping, induced by an imaginary gauge potential. Using a symmetrisation approach to enable the adaptation of tools from Hermitian systems, we derive the limiting spectral distribution of these systems as the number of blocks goes to infinity and characterise their spectral properties in terms of the spectral properties of their constituent blocks. By employing a transfer matrix approach, we then clarify, in terms of Lyapunov exponents, the competition between the edge localisation due to imaginary gauge potentials and the bulk localisation due to disorder. In particular, we demonstrate how the disorder acts as insulation against the non-Hermitian skin effect, preventing edge localisation for small imaginary gauge potentials.

math-ph↗
arXiv2025

Subwavelength Localisation in Disordered Systems

We elucidate the different mechanisms of wave localisation in disordered finite systems of subwavelength resonators, where the disorder is in the spatial arrangement of the resonators. To do so, we employ the capacitance matrix formalism and develop a variety of tools to understand localisation in this setting. Namely, we adapt the Thouless criterion of localisation to quantify the various mechanisms of localisation. We also employ a propagation matrix approach to prove a Saxon-Hutner type theorem ensuring the existence of band gaps for disordered systems and to predict the corresponding Lyapunov exponents. We further investigate the stabilities of bandgaps and localised eigenmodes with respect to fluctuations in the system by introducing a method of defect mode prediction based on the discrete Green function and illuminating the phenomena of Anderson localisation and level repulsion under global disorder.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗
arXiv2025

Universal estimates for the density of states for aperiodic block subwavelength resonator systems

We consider the spectral properties of aperiodic block subwavelength resonator systems in one dimension, with a primary focus on the density of states. We prove that for random block configurations, as the number of blocks $M\to \infty$, the integrated density of states converges to a non-random, continuous function. We show both analytically and numerically that the density of states exhibits a tripartite decomposition: it vanishes identically within bandgaps; it forms smooth, band-like distributions in shared pass bands (a consequence of constructive eigenmode interactions); and, most notably, it exhibits a distinct fractal-like character in hybridisation regions. We demonstrate that this fractal-like behaviour stems from the limited interaction between eigenmodes within these hybridisation regions. Capitalising on this insight, we introduce an efficient meta-atom approach that enables rapid and accurate prediction of the density of states in these hybridisation regions. This approach is shown to extend to systems with quasiperiodic and hyperuniform arrangements of blocks.

math-ph↗
arXiv2024

Generalised Brillouin Zone for Non-Reciprocal Systems

Recently, it has been observed that the Floquet-Bloch transform with real quasiperiodicities fails to capture the spectral properties of non-reciprocal systems. The aim of this paper is to introduce the notion of a generalised Brillouin zone by allowing the quasiperiodicities to be complex in order to rectify this. It is proved that this shift of the Brillouin zone into the complex plane accounts for the unidirectional spatial decay of the eigenmodes and leads to correct spectral convergence properties. The results in this paper clarify and prove rigorously how the spectral properties of a finite structure are associated with those of the corresponding semi-infinitely or infinitely periodic lattices and give explicit characterisations of how to extend the Hermitian theory to non-reciprocal settings. Based on our theory, we characterise the generalised Brillouin zone for both open boundary conditions and periodic boundary conditions. Our results are consistent with the physical literature and give explicit generalisations to the $k$-Toeplitz matrix cases.

math-ph↗
arXiv2024

Tunable Localisation in Parity-Time-Symmetric Resonator Arrays with Imaginary Gauge Potentials

The aim of this paper is to illustrate both analytically and numerically the interplay of two fundamentally distinct non-Hermitian mechanisms in a deep subwavelength regime. Considering a parity-time symmetric system of one-dimensional subwavelength resonators equipped with two kinds of non-Hermiticity - an imaginary gauge potential and on-site gain and loss - we prove that all but two eigenmodes of the system decouple when going through an exceptional point. By tuning the gain-to-loss ratio, the system changes from a phase with unbroken parity-time symmetry to a phase with broken parity-time symmetry. At the macroscopic level, this is observed as a transition from symmetrical eigenmodes to condensated eigenmodes at one edge of the structure. Mathematically, it arises from a topological state change. The results of this paper open the door to the justification of a variety of phenomena arising from the interplay between non-Hermitian reciprocal and non-reciprocal mechanisms not only in subwavelength wave physics but also in quantum mechanics where the tight binding model coupled with the nearest neighbour approximation can be analysed with the same tools as those developed here.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2024

A two-scale effective model for defect-induced localization transitions in non-Hermitian systems

We illuminate the fundamental mechanism responsible for the transition between the non-Hermitian skin effect and defect-induced localization in the bulk. We study a Hamiltonian with non-reciprocal couplings that exhibits the skin effect (the localization of all eigenvectors at one edge) and add an on-site defect in the center. Using a two-scale asymptotic method, we characterize the long-scale growth and decay of the eigenvectors and derive a simple and intuitive effective model for the transition that occurs when the defect is sufficiently large that one of the modes is localized at the defect site, rather than at the edge of the system.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2024

Exponentially localised interface eigenmodes in finite chains of resonators

This paper studies wave localisation in chains of finitely many resonators. There is an extensive theory predicting the existence of localised modes induced by defects in infinitely periodic systems. This work extends these principles to finite-sized systems. We consider finite systems of subwavelength resonators arranged in dimers that have a geometric defect in the structure. This is a classical wave analogue of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. We prove the existence of a spectral gap for defectless finite dimer structures and find a direct relationship between eigenvalues being within the spectral gap and the localisation of their associated eigenmode. Then we show the existence and uniqueness of an eigenvalue in the gap in the defect structure, proving the existence of a unique localised interface mode. To the best of our knowledge, our method, based on Chebyshev polynomials, is the first to characterise quantitatively the localised interface modes in systems of finitely many resonators.

math-ph↗
arXiv2024

Spectra and pseudo-spectra of tridiagonal $k$-Toeplitz matrices and the topological origin of the non-Hermitian skin effect

We establish new results on the spectra and pseudo-spectra of tridiagonal $k$-Toeplitz operators and matrices. In particular, we prove the connection between the winding number of the eigenvalues of the symbol function and the exponential decay of the associated eigenvectors (or pseudo-eigenvectors). Our results elucidate the topological origin of the non-Hermitian skin effect in general one-dimensional polymer systems of subwavelength resonators with imaginary gauge potentials, proving the observation and conjecture in arXiv:2307.13551. We also numerically verify our theory for these systems.

math-ph↗
arXiv2023

The Non-Hermitian Skin Effect With Three-Dimensional Long-Range Coupling

We study the non-Hermitian skin effect in a three-dimensional system of finitely many subwavelength resonators with an imaginary gauge potential. We introduce a discrete approximation of the eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies of the system in terms of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the so-called gauge capacitance matrix $\mathcal{C}_N^γ$, which is a dense matrix due to long-range interactions in the system. Based on translational invariance of this matrix and the decay of its off-diagonal entries, we prove the condensation of the eigenmodes at one edge of the structure by showing the exponential decay of its pseudo-eigenvectors. In particular, we consider a range-k approximation to keep the long-range interaction to a certain extent, thus obtaining a k-banded gauge capacitance matrix $\mathcal{C}_{N,k}^γ$ . Using techniques for Toeplitz matrices and operators, we establish the exponential decay of the pseudo-eigenvectors of $\mathcal{C}_{N,k}^γ$ and demonstrate that they approximate those of the gauge capacitance matrix $\mathcal{C}_N^γ$ well. Our results are numerically verified. In particular, we show that long-range interactions affect only the first eigenmodes in the system. As a result, a tridiagonal approximation of the gauge capacitance matrix, similar to the nearest-neighbour approximation in quantum mechanics, provides a good approximation for the higher modes. Moreover, we also illustrate numerically the behaviour of the eigenmodes and the stability of the non-Hermitian skin effect with respect to disorder in a variety of three-dimensional structures.

math.AP↗
arXiv2023

Stability of the non-Hermitian skin effect

This paper shows that the skin effect in systems of non-Hermitian subwavelength resonators is robust with respect to random imperfections in the system. The subwavelength resonators are highly contrasting material inclusions that resonate in a low-frequency regime. The non-Hermiticity is due to the introduction of an imaginary gauge potential, which leads to a skin effect that is manifested by the system's eigenmodes accumulating at one edge of the structure. We elucidate the topological protection of the associated (real) eigenfrequencies and illustrate the competition between the two different localisation effects present when the system is randomly perturbed: the non-Hermitian skin effect and the disorder-induced Anderson localisation. We show that, as the strength of the disorder increases, more and more eigenmodes become localised in the bulk. Our results are based on an asymptotic matrix model for subwavelength physics and can be generalised also to tight-binding models in condensed matter theory.

math-ph↗
arXiv2023

Perturbed Block Toeplitz matrices and the non-Hermitian skin effect in dimer systems of subwavelength resonators

The aim of this paper is fourfold: (i) to obtain explicit formulas for the eigenpairs of perturbed tridiagonal block Toeplitz matrices; (ii) to make use of such formulas in order to provide a mathematical justification of the non-Hermitian skin effect in dimer systems by proving the condensation of the system's bulk eigenmodes at one of the edges of the system; (iii) to show the topological origin of the non-Hermitian skin effect for dimer systems and (iv) to prove localisation of the interface modes between two dimer structures with non-Hermitian gauge potentials of opposite signs based on new estimates of the decay of the entries of the eigenvectors of block matrices with mirrored blocks.

math-ph↗
arXiv2023

Mathematical foundations of the non-Hermitian skin effect

We study the skin effect in a one-dimensional system of finitely many subwavelength resonators with a non-Hermitian imaginary gauge potential. Using Toeplitz matrix theory, we prove the condensation of bulk eigenmodes at one of the edges of the system. By introducing a generalised (complex) Brillouin zone, we can compute spectral bands of the associated infinitely periodic structure and prove that this is the limit of the spectra of the finite structures with arbitrarily large size. Finally, we contrast the non-Hermitian systems with imaginary gauge potentials considered here with systems where the non-Hermiticity arises due to complex material parameters, showing that the two systems are fundamentally distinct.

math.AP↗
arXiv2023

Edge modes in subwavelength resonators in one dimension

We present the mathematical theory of one-dimensional infinitely periodic chains of subwavelength resonators. We analyse both Hermitian and non-Hermitian systems. Subwavelength resonances and associated modes can be accurately predicted by a finite dimensional eigenvalue problem involving a capacitance matrix. We are able to compute the Hermitian and non-Hermitian Zak phases, showing that the former is quantised and the latter is not. Furthermore, we show the existence of localised edge modes arising from defects in the periodicity in both the Hermitian and non-Hermitian cases. In the non-Hermitian case, we provide a complete characterisation of the edge modes.

math.AP↗