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Yongxu Fu

Publications and source records attributed to Yongxu Fu.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Quench dynamics in nonreciprocal Aubry-Andr\'e-Harper model

The critical phase of a non-Hermitian quasicrystal can support stronger transport than its surrounding delocalized phase. We demonstrate this anomalous behavior in the one-dimensional nonreciprocal Aubry-Andr\'e-Harper model through a combined study of dynamical quantum phase transitions (DQPTs) and wavepacket diffusion. Using a parity-sorted energy-spectrum classification that directly encodes the generalized $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry, we find that DQPTs in this system are energy-resolved, in contrast to the energy-independent DQPTs of Hermitian quasicrystals. The energy-resolved features are most pronounced when the initial and final Hamiltonians belong to different phases (localized or extended), and they are tied to the even-odd index structure of the spectrum, which we exploit to organize the quench-dynamical landscape. For wavepacket dynamics after a single-site quench, the diffusion exponent $\beta$, extracted from the long-time power-law scaling of the root-mean-square displacement $\sigma(\tau)$, partitions the phase diagram into four distinct regimes. In the Hermitian limit the extended phase is ballistic ($\beta=1$), the critical phase is normally diffusive ($\beta=0.5$), and the localized phase yields $\beta\to 0$. Nonreciprocity reverses this hierarchy: the extended phase becomes normally diffusive, while the critical phase turns ballistic. We trace the anomalous $\beta=1$ at criticality to the self-similar multifractal structure of the critical eigenstates, whose nodal positions are organized by the golden ratio. A finite-size scaling ansatz built on the wave-front propagation yields $\sigma(\tau)\propto\tau$. The parity-resolved DQPTs and the $\beta$-phase diagram establish two complementary dynamical diagnostics of nonreciprocal quasicrystals, in which nonreciprocity promotes transport at the critical point and suppresses it in the delocalized phase.

cond-mat.mes-hall

$\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ Skin Channels and Effective Dynamical Quantum Phase Transitions

We analytically describe the dynamically separated $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ skin channels (wavepacket evolutions) under periodic boundary condition (PBC) in non-Hermitian systems with anomalous time-reversal symmetry (ATRS), by combining the semiclassical worldline perspective with an enhanced understanding of skin effects. These channels, tied to the initial state and relevant symmetries, exhibit individually exponential-dominated time evolution in momentum space, where their amplitude maxima evolve toward the dominant momenta. In real space, their center of masses (COMs) circulate around the one-dimensional (1D) chain, tracing semiclassical worldlines. Such circulations imply quantum revivals and effective dynamical quantum phase transitions (DQPTs) regardless of any wavepackets' phase interference, with the latter showing scale-dependent behavior, a feature distinct from conventional DQPTs. This work rigorously demonstrates our previous findings on worldline windings and the winding-control mechanism, confirming that the core physics is shared with the ordinary skin effect.

quant-ph

Characterizing Topological Phase Transition in Non-Hermitian Systems

We propose and present a concept of Topological Distance (TD), obtained from the integration of trace distance over the generalized Brillouin zone, in order to characterize the topological transitions of non-Hermitian systems. Specifically, such a quantity is used to measure the overall dissimilarity between eigen wavefunctions upon traversing all possible matter states, and confirms the phase boundaries through observing the divergences of both TD and its partial derivatives; we clarify its origin and also offer a theoretical explanation. The method is developed to characterize the non-Hermitian topology in a novel way, and shows its generality and effectiveness in 1D non-Hermitian Kitaev systems, non-Hermitian Hamiltonians under periodic or open boundary conditions, and even generalizable to higher-order topological systems, providing a novel perspective to understand topological physics.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Anatomy of Non-Hermitian Dynamical Quantum Phase Transitions

We establish a unified framework for dynamical quantum phase transitions (DQPTs) in non-Hermitian systems that encompasses both biorthogonal and self-norm non-biorthogonal formulations for pure and mixed states under quantum quench protocols. Our framework provides explicit expressions for the Loschmidt amplitude, Loschmidt echo, and rate function, revealing a universal geometric signature of DQPTs in the two-band model: orthogonality of two related vectors in two-dimensional real space. Strikingly, we demonstrate that non-biorthogonal quenches from non-Hermitian to Hermitian Hamiltonians under chiral symmetry exhibit emergent topological characteristics of DQPTs, unveiling their fundamental features beyond conventional Hermitian regimes. This work establishes fundamental geometric and topological principles governing quantum criticality in open systems, with implications for quantum sensing and many-body physics in dissipative environments.

quant-ph

Winding-control mechanism of non-Hermitian systems

Non-Hermitian quantum systems exhibit various interesting and inter-connected spectral, topological, and boundary-sensitive features. By introducing conditional boundary conditions (CBCs) for non-Hermitian quantum systems, we explore a winding-control mechanism that selectively collapses specific periodic boundary condition (PBC) loop-type spectra onto their open boundary condition (OBC) counterparts, guided by their specific winding numbers, together with a composite reconstruction of the Brillouin zone (BZ) and generalized Brillouin zone (GBZ). The corresponding eigenstates also manifest nontrivial skin effects or extended behaviors arising from the interplay between BZ and GBZ structures. Intuitively, the winding-control mechanism is tied to the residual imaginary velocity originating from the corresponding Fermi sea, establishing the CBCs as the transition boundaries between different non-Hermitian topology of spectral windings. Furthermore, we can generalize our control by incorporating similarity transformations and holomorphic mappings with the boundary controls. We demonstrate the winding control numerically within various models, which enriches our knowledge of non-Hermitian physics across the spectrum, topology, and bulk-boundary correspondence.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Hermitian and Non-Hermitian Topological Transitions Characterized by Manifold Distance

Topological phases are generally characterized by topological invariants denoted by integer numbers. However, different topological systems often require different topological invariants to measure, and theses definition usually fail at critical points. Therefore, it's challenging to predict what would occur during the transformation between two different topological phases. To address these issues, we propose a general definition based on fidelity and trace distance from quantum information theory: manifold distance (MD). This definition does not rely on the berry connection but rather on the information of the two manifolds - their ground state wave functions. Thus, it can measure different topological systems (including traditional band topology models, non-Hermitian systems, and gapless systems, etc.) and exhibit some universal laws during the transformation between two topological phases. Our research demonstrates for different topological manifolds, the change rate (first-order derivative) or susceptibility (second-order derivative) of MD exhibit various divergent behaviors near the critical points. Compared to the strange correlator, which could be used as a diagnosis for short-range entangled states in 1D and 2D, MD is more universal and could be applied to non-Hermitian systems and long-range entangled states. For subsequent studies, we expect the method to be generalized to real-space or non-lattice models, in order to facilitate the study of a wider range of physical platforms such as open systems and many-body localization.

cond-mat.str-el

Braiding Topology of Non-Hermitian Open-Boundary Bands

There has been much recent interest and progress on topological structures of the non-Hermitian Bloch bands. Here, we study the topological structures of non-Bloch bands of non-Hermitian multiband quantum systems under open boundary conditions, which has received limited attention in prior studies. Using a continuity criterion and an efficient sub-generalized Brillouin zone (sub-GBZ) algorithm, we establish a homotopic characterization -- braiding topology, e.g., characterized by the band's total vorticity -- for open-boundary bands and sub-GBZs. Such topological identification is robust without topological transition and emergent degenerate points, such as exceptional points. We further analyze the transition's impact on bands and spectral flows, including interesting properties unique to open boundaries, and numerically demonstrate our conclusions with tight-binding model examples. We unveil a crucial insight that open-boundary bands interchange their portions after encountering certain exceptional points. Our results enrich the foundational understanding of topological characterizations for generic non-Hermitian quantum systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Distance between two manifolds, topological phase transitions and scaling laws

Topological phases are generally characterized by topological invariants denoted by integer numbers. However, different topological systems often require different topological invariants to measure, such as geometric phases, topological orders, winding numbers, etc. Moreover, geometric phases and its associated definitions usually fail at critical points. Therefore, it's challenging to predict what would occur during the transformation between two different topological phases. To address these issues, in this work, we propose a general definition based on fidelity and trace distance from quantum information theory: manifold distance. This definition does not rely on the berry connection of the manifolds but rather on the information of the two manifolds - their ground state wave functions. Thus, it can measure different topological systems (including traditional band topology models, non-Hermitian systems, and topological order models, etc.) and exhibit some universal laws during the transformation between two topological phases. Our research demonstrates that when the properties of two manifolds are identical, the distance and associated higher-order derivatives between them can smoothly transition to each other. However, for two different topological manifolds, the higher-order derivatives exhibit various divergent behaviors near the critical points. For subsequent studies, we expect the method to be generalized to real-space or non-lattice models, in order to facilitate the study of a wider range of physical platforms such as open systems and many-body localization.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Hybrid scale-free skin effect in non-Hermitian systems: A transfer matrix approach

Surpassing the individual characteristics of the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE) and the scale-free (SF) effect observed recently, we systematically exploit the exponential decay behavior of bulk eigenstates via the transfer matrix approach in non-Hermitian systems. We concentrate on one-dimensional (1D) finite-size non-Hermitian systems with 2*2 transfer matrices in either the absence or presence of the boundary impurity. We analytically unveil that the unidirectional SF effect emerges with the singular transfer matrices, while the hybrid scale-free skin (SFS) effect appears with the nonsingular transfer matrices even when an open boundary condition (OBC) is imposed. The unidirectional SF effect exceeds the scope of the SF effect in previous works, while the hybrid SFS effect is an interesting interplay between the skin effect and the SF effect in finite-size systems. Our results reveal that the skin effect under the OBC prevails when it coexists with the SF effect as the system approaches the thermodynamic limit in the presence of the hybrid SFS effect. Our approach paves the way for rigorous and unified explorations of the skin and SF effects in both Hermitian and non-Hermitian systems with generic boundary conditions.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Nontrivial worldline winding in non-Hermitian quantum systems

Amid the growing interest in non-Hermitian quantum systems, non-interacting models have received the most attention. Here, through the stochastic series expansion quantum Monte Carlo method, we investigate non-Hermitian physics in interacting quantum systems, e.g., various non-Hermitian quantum spin chains. While calculations yield consistent numerical results under open boundary conditions, non-Hermitian quantum systems under periodic boundary conditions observe an unusual concentration of imaginary-time worldlines over nontrivial winding and require enhanced ergodicity between winding-number sectors for proper convergences. Such nontrivial worldline winding is an emergent physical phenomenon that also exists in other non-Hermitian models and analytical approaches. Alongside the non-Hermitian skin effect and the point-gap spectroscopy, it largely extends the identification and analysis of non-Hermitian topological phenomena to quantum systems with interactions, finite temperatures, biorthogonal basis, and periodic boundary conditions in a novel and controlled fashion. Finally, we study the direct physical implications of such nontrivial worldline winding, which bring additional, potentially quasi-long-range contributions to the entanglement entropy.

quant-ph

Anatomy of open-boundary bulk in multiband non-Hermitian systems

Although the non-Bloch band theory is a milestone in elaborating bulk energy bands of non-Hermitian systems under the open-boundary condition (OBC), vital issues related to multivalued functions of non-Hermitian energy bands remain unsolved. In this paper, we anatomize the bulk properties of one-dimensional multiband non-Hermitian systems under OBC. We put forward the energy-band branches (EBBs) to settle the multivalued functions of non-Hermitian energy bands, which become gapped or gapless corresponding to disconnected or connected EBBs in the complex energy plane, where the branch points and branch cuts play a crucial role. We clarify the precise significance of the non-Hermitian skin effect, which illustrates the asymptotic behavior of EBB eigenstates (bulk eigenstates) in the deep bulk and compensates previous non-Bloch band theory. We also obtain a general expression of open-boundary Green's functions based on such EBBs and generalized Brillouin zones, useful for studies on non-Hermitian dynamical evolution.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Complex semiclassical theory for non-Hermitian quantum systems

Non-Hermitian quantum systems exhibit fascinating characteristics such as non-Hermitian topological phenomena and skin effect, yet their studies are limited by the intrinsic difficulties associated with their eigenvalue problems, especially in larger systems and higher dimensions. In Hermitian systems, the semiclassical theory has played an active role in analyzing spectrum, eigenstate, phase, transport properties, etc. Here, we establish a complex semiclassical theory applicable to non-Hermitian quantum systems by an analytical continuation of the physical variables such as momentum, position, time, and energy in the equations of motion and quantization condition to the complex domain. Further, we propose a closed-orbit scheme and physical meaning under such complex variables. We demonstrate that such a framework straightforwardly yields complex energy spectra and quantum states, topological phases and transitions, and even the skin effect in non-Hermitian quantum systems, presenting an unprecedented perspective toward nontrivial non-Hermitian physics, even with larger systems and higher dimensions.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Degeneracy and defectiveness in non-Hermitian systems with open boundary

We develop a systematically general theory of one-dimensional (1D) non-Hermitian systems, elaborating on the energy bands, the band degeneracy, and the defectiveness of eigenstates under open boundary conditions. We analyze the band degeneracy and defectiveness of two typical 1D non-Hermitian models. We obtain the unusual presence and absence of the exceptional points in the generalized non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model under open boundary conditions. Beyond the general theory, we discover that infernal points exist in 1D non-Hermitian systems, where the energy spectra under open boundary conditions converge on some discrete energy values. We analyze two relevant 1D non-Hermitian models with the existence of infernal points. Moreover, we generalize the infernal points to the infernal knots in four-dimensional systems. The general theory and the infernal points of non-Hermitian systems developed in this paper are also valid in Hermitian systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Non-Hermitian second-order skin and topological modes

The skin effect and topological edge states in non-Hermitian system have been well-studied, and the second-order skin effect and corner modes have also been proposed in non-Hermitian system recently. In this paper, we construct the nested tight-binding formalism to research the second-order corner modes analytically, which is a direct description of the generic non-Hermitian tight-binding model without other assumptions. Within this formalism, we obtain the exact solutions of second-order topological zero-energy corner modes for the non-Hermitian four-band model. We validate the nested tight-binding formalism in the hybrid skin-topological corner modes for the four-band model and a non-Hermitian two-dimensional (2D) extrinsic model. In addition, we exactly illustrate the corner modes induced by second-order skin effect for a simplest 2D non-Hermitian model by the nested tight-binding formalism.

cond-mat.mes-hall