arXiv subjects

Z. Song

Publications and source records attributed to Z. Song.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Quantum phase transition without gap opening

Quantum phase transitions (QPTs), including symmetry breaking and topological types, always associated with gap closing and opening. We analyze the topological features of the quantum phase boundary of the XY model in a transverse magnetic field. Based on the results from graphs in the auxiliary space, we find that gapless ground states at boundary have different topological characters. On the other hand, In the framework of Majorana representation, the Majorana lattice is shown to be two coupled SSH chains. The analysis of the quantum fidelity for the Majorana eigen vector indicates the signature of QPT for the gapless state. Furthermore numerical computation shows that the transition between two types of gapless phases associates with divergence of second-order derivative of groundstate energy density, which obeys scaling behavior. It indicates that a continues QPT can occur among gapless phases. The underlying mechanism of the gapless QPT is also discussed. The gap closing and opening are not necessary for a QPT.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Dynamical bulk-edge correspondence for nodal lines in parameter space

Nodal line in parameter space, at which the energy gap closes up, can either be the boundary separating two topological quantum phases or two conventional phases. We study the topological feature of nodal line in parameter space via a dimerized Kitaev spin chain with staggered transverse field, which can be mapped onto the system of dimerized spinless fermions with p-wave superconductivity. The quantum phase boundaries are straight crossing degeneracy lines in 3D parameter space. We show that the nodal line acts as a vortex filament associated with a vector field, which is generated from the Zak phase of Bogoliubov-de Gennes band. We also investigate the topological invariant in Majorana fermion representation for open chain. The Majorana edge modes are not zero mode, but is still protected by energy gap. The exact mid-gap states of the Majorana lattice allows to obtain the corresponding Majorana probability distribution for whole 3D parameter space, which can establish a scalar field to identify the topological feature of the nodal lines. Furthermore, when we switch on a weak tunneling between two ends of the Majorana lattice, the topological invariants of the nodal lines can be obtained by the pumped Majorana probability from an adiabatic passage encircling the lines. Numerical simulations of quasi-adiabatic time evolution is performed in small system. We compute the current to monitor the transport of Majorana fermion, which exhibits evident character of topological pumping. Our results link the bulk topological invariant to the dynamical behavior of Majorana edge mode, extending the concept of bulk-edge correspondence.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Wide-range-tunable Dirac-cone band structure in a chiral-time-symmetric non-Hermitian system

We establish a connection between an arbitrary Hermitian tight-binding model with chiral (C) symmetry and its non-Hermitian counterpart with chiral-time (CT ) symmetry.We show that such a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian is pseudo-Hermitian. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian can be easily obtained from those of its parent Hermitian Hamiltonian. It provides a way to generate a class of non-Hermitian models with a tunable full real band structure by means of additional imaginary potentials.We also present an illustrative example that could achieve a cone structure from the energy band of a two-layer Hermitian square lattice model.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

An attractor dynamics in a non-Hermitian two-level system

Exceptional point in non-Hermitian system possesses fascinating properties. We present an exactly solvable attractor dynamics for the first time from a two-level time dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. It allows a way to evolve to the coalescence state from a pure or mixed initial state through varying the imaginary parameter along a specific diabatic passage. Contrast to a chaotic attractor that is ultrasensitive to the initial condition, the designed attractor is insensitive to the initial conditions. The attractor-like behavior still exists for several adiabatic processes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chain with one pair of PT-symmetric defects

The topologically nontrivial edge states induce PT transition in Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) chain with one pair of gain and loss at boundaries. In this study, we investigated a pair of PT-symmetric defects located inside the SSH chain, in particular, the defects locations are at the chain centre. The PT symmetry breaking of the bound states leads to the PT transition, the PT-symmetric phases and the localized states were studied. In the broken PT-symmetric phase, all energy levels break simultaneously in topologically trivial phase; however, two edge states in topologically nontrivial phase are free from the influence of the PT-symmetric defects. We discovered PT-symmetric bound states induced by the PT-symmetric local defects at the SSH chain centre. The PT-symmetric bound states significantly increase the PT transition threshold and coalesce to the topologically protected zero mode with vanishing probabilities on every other site of the left-half chain and the right-half chain, respectively.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Spectral singularity in composite systems and simulation of a resonant lasing cavity

We investigate herein the existence of spectral singularities (SSs) in composite systems that consist of two separate scattering centers A and B embedded in one-dimensional free space, with at least one scattering center being non-Hermitian. We show that such composite systems have an SS at $k_{c}$ if the reflection amplitudes $r^{A}\left( k_{c}\right) $ and $r^{B}\left( k_{c}\right) $ of the two scattering centers satisfy the condition $r_{\mathrm{R}% }^{A}\left( k_{c}\right) r_{\mathrm{L}}^{B}\left( k_{c}\right) e^{i2k_{c}\left( x_{B}-x_{A}\right) }=1$. We also extend the condition to the system with multi-scattering centers. As an application, we construct a simple system to simulate a resonant lasing cavity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Topological phases in Kitaev chain with imbalanced pairing

We systematically study a Kitaev chain with imbalanced pair creation and annihilation, which is introduced by non-Hermitian pairing terms. Exact phase diagram shows that the topological phase is still robust under the influence of the conditional imbalance. The gapped phases are characterized by a topological invariant, the extended Zak phase, which is defined by the biorthonormal inner product. Such phases are destroyed at the points where the coalescence of groundstates occur, associating with the time-reversal symmetry breaking. We find that the Majorana edge modes also exist for the open chain within unbroken time-reversal symmetric region, demonstrating the bulk-edge correspondence in such a non-Hermitian system.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Non-Hermitian description of the dynamics of inter-chain pair tunnelling

We study inter-chain pair tunnelling dynamics based on an exact two-particle solution for a two-leg ladder. We show that the Hermitian Hamiltonian shares a common two-particle eigenstate with a corresponding non-Hermitian Hubbard Hamiltonian in which the non-Hermiticity arises from an on-site interaction of imaginary strength. Our results provides that the dynamic processes of two-particle collision and across-legs tunnelling are well described by the effective non-Hermitian Hubbard Hamiltonian based on the eigenstate equivalence. We also find that any common eigenstate is always associated with the emergence of spectral singularity in the non-Hermitian Hubbard model. This result is valid for both Bose and Fermi systems and provides a clear physical implication of the non-Hermitian Hubbard model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Parallel dynamics between non-Hermitian and Hermitian systems

We study the connection between a family of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians H and Hermitian ones H based on exact solutions. In general, for a dynamic process in a non-Hermitian system H, there always exists a parallel dynamic process governed by the corresponding Hermitian conjugate Hamiltonian H†. We show that a linear superposition of the two parallel dynamics is exactly equivalent to the time evolution of a state under a Hermitian Hamiltonian H. It reveals a novel connection between non-Hermitian and Hermitian systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Non-Hermitian interferometer: Unidirectional amplification without distortion

A non-Hermitian interferometer can realize asymmetric transmission in the presence of imaginary potential and magnetic flux. Here, we propose a non-Hermitian dimer with an unequal hopping rate by an interferometer-like cluster in the framework of tight-binding model. The intriguing features of this design are the wave-vector independence and unidirectionality of scattering, which amplifies wavepacket without distortion and absorbs incoherent wave without reflection. The absorption relates to the system spectral singularities, the dynamical behaviors of the spectral singularities are also investigated analytically and numerically.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Non-Hermitian heat engine with all-quantum-adiabatic-process cycle

As a quantum device, a quantum heat engine (QHE) is described by a Hermitian Hamiltonian.However, since it is an open system, reservoirs have to be imposed phenomenologically without any description in the context of quantum mechanics. A non-Hermitian system is expected to describe an open system which exchanges energy and particles with external reservoirs. Correspondingly,such an exchange can be adiabatic in the context of quantum mechanics. We first propose a non-Hermitian QHE by a concrete simple two-level system, which is an S = 1/2 spin in a complex external magnetic field. The non-Hermitian PT -symmetric Hamiltonian, as a self-contained one,describes both working medium and reservoirs. A heat-engine cycle is composed of completely quantum adiabatic processes. Surprisingly, the heat efficiency is obtained to be the same as that of Hermitian quantum Otto cycle. A classical analogue of this scheme is also presented. Our finding paves the way for revealing what the role of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian plays in physics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Long-range entangled zero-mode state in a non-Hermitian lattice

In contrast to a Hermitian system, in which zero modes are usually degenerate and localized edge state in the thermodynamic limit, the zero mode of a finite non-Hermitian system can be a single nontrivial long-range entangled state at the exceptional point (EP). In this work, we demonstrate this feature with a concrete example based on exact solutions. Numerical simulations show that the entangled state can be generated through the dynamic process with a high fidelity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Wave emission and absorption at spectral singularities

We studied the critical dynamics of spectral singularities. The system investigated is a coupled resonator array with a side-coupled loss (gain) resonator. For a gain resonator, the system acts as a wave emitter at spectral singularities. The reflection probability increased linearly over time. The rate of increase is proportional to the width of the incident wave packet, which served as the spectral singularity observer in the experiment. For a lossy resonator, the system acts as a wave absorber. The emission and absorption states at spectral singularities coalesce in a finite parity-time (PT ) symmetric system that combined by the gain and loss structures cut from corrresponding scattering systems at spectral singularities; in this case, the PT -symmetric system is at an exceptional point with a 2 * 2 Jordan block. The dynamics of the PT -symmetric system exhibit the characteristic of exceptional points and spectral singularities.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Magnetic-flux-driven topological quantum phase transition and manipulation of perfect edge states in graphene tube

We study the tight-binding model for a graphene tube with perimeter N threaded by a magnetic field. We show exactly that this model has different nontrivial topological phases as the flux changes. The winding number, as an indicator of topological quantum phase transition (QPT) fixes at N/3 if N/3 equals to its integer part [N/3], otherwise it jumps between [N/3] and [N/3]+1 periodically as the flux varies a flux quantum. For an open tube with zigzag boundary condition, exact edge states are obtained. There exist two perfect midgap edge states, in which the particle is completely located at the boundary, even for a tube with finite length. The threading flux can be employed to control the quantum states: transferring the perfect edge state from one end to the other, or generating maximal entanglement between them.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Quantum phase transition induced by real-space topology

A quantum phase transition (QPT), including both topological and symmetry breaking types, is usually induced by the change of global parameters, such as external fields or global coupling constants. In this work, we demonstrate the existence of QPT induced by the real-space topology of the system. We investigate the groundstate properties of the tight-binding model on a honeycomb lattice with the torus geometry based on exact results. It is shown that the ground state experiences a second- order QPT, exhibiting the scaling behavior, when the torus switches to a tube, which reveals the connection between quantum phase and the real-space topology of the system.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Chern number in Ising models with spatially modulated real and complex fields

We study an one-dimensional transverse field Ising model with additional periodically modulated real and complex fields. It is shown that both models can be mapped on a pseudo spin system in the k space in the aid of an extended Bogoliubov transformation. This allows us to introduce the geometric quantity, the Chern number, to identify the nature of quantum phases. Based on the exact solution, we find that the spatially modulated real and complex fields rearrange the phase boundaries from that of the ordinary Ising model, which can be characterized by the Chern numbers defined in the context of Dirac and biorthonormal inner products, respectively.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Parity-time symmetry under magnetic flux

We study a parity-time (PT) symmetric ring lattice, with one pair of balanced gain and loss located at opposite positions. The system remains PT-symmetric when threaded by a magnetic flux; however, the PT symmetry is sensitive to the magnetic flux, in the presence of a large balanced gain and loss, or in a large system. We find a threshold gain/loss, above which, any nontrivial magnetic flux breaks the PT symmetry. We obtain the maximally tolerable magnetic flux for the exact PT-symmetric phase, which is approximately linearly dependent on a weak gain/loss.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Majorana charges, winding numbers and Chern numbers in quantum Ising models

Mapping a many-body state on a loop in parameter space is a simple way to characterize a quantum state. The connections of such a geometrical representation to the concepts of Chern number and Majorana zero mode are investigated based on a generalized quantum spin system with short and long-range interactions. We show that the topological invariants, the Chern numbers of corresponding Bloch band is equivalent to the winding number in the auxiliary plane, which can be utilized to characterize the phase diagram. We introduce the concept of Majorana charge, the magnitude of which is defined by the distribution of Majorana fermion probability in zero-mode states, and the sign is defined by the type of Majorana fermion. By direct calculations of the Majorana modes we analytically and numerically verify that the Majorana charge is equal to Chern numbers and winding numbers.

quant-ph↗