Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systems
The effect of PT-symmetry breaking in coupled systems with balanced gain and loss has recently attracted considerable attention and has been demonstrated in various photonic, electrical and mechanical systems in the classical regime. Here we generalize the definition of PT symmetry to finite-dime...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SciPost
2020-10-01
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| Series: | SciPost Physics |
| Online Access: | https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.9.4.052 |
| _version_ | 1819194822745915392 |
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| author | Julian Huber, Peter Kirton, Stefan Rotter, Peter Rabl |
| author_facet | Julian Huber, Peter Kirton, Stefan Rotter, Peter Rabl |
| author_sort | Julian Huber, Peter Kirton, Stefan Rotter, Peter Rabl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The effect of PT-symmetry breaking in coupled systems with balanced gain and
loss has recently attracted considerable attention and has been demonstrated in
various photonic, electrical and mechanical systems in the classical regime.
Here we generalize the definition of PT symmetry to finite-dimensional open
quantum systems, which are described by a Markovian master equation.
Specifically, we show that the invariance of this master equation under a
certain symmetry transformation implies the existence of stationary states with
preserved and broken parity symmetry. As the dimension of the Hilbert space
grows, the transition between these two limiting phases becomes increasingly
sharp and the classically expected PT-symmetry breaking transition is
recovered. This quantum-to-classical correspondence allows us to establish a
common theoretical framework to identify and accurately describe PT-symmetry
breaking effects in a large variety of physical systems, operated both in the
classical and quantum regimes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T02:02:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2538050d4ab74254a17d9b884ee79500 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2542-4653 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T02:02:58Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | SciPost |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SciPost Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-2538050d4ab74254a17d9b884ee795002022-12-21T18:03:57ZengSciPostSciPost Physics2542-46532020-10-019405210.21468/SciPostPhys.9.4.052Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systemsJulian Huber, Peter Kirton, Stefan Rotter, Peter RablThe effect of PT-symmetry breaking in coupled systems with balanced gain and loss has recently attracted considerable attention and has been demonstrated in various photonic, electrical and mechanical systems in the classical regime. Here we generalize the definition of PT symmetry to finite-dimensional open quantum systems, which are described by a Markovian master equation. Specifically, we show that the invariance of this master equation under a certain symmetry transformation implies the existence of stationary states with preserved and broken parity symmetry. As the dimension of the Hilbert space grows, the transition between these two limiting phases becomes increasingly sharp and the classically expected PT-symmetry breaking transition is recovered. This quantum-to-classical correspondence allows us to establish a common theoretical framework to identify and accurately describe PT-symmetry breaking effects in a large variety of physical systems, operated both in the classical and quantum regimes.https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.9.4.052 |
| spellingShingle | Julian Huber, Peter Kirton, Stefan Rotter, Peter Rabl Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systems SciPost Physics |
| title | Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systems |
| title_full | Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systems |
| title_fullStr | Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systems |
| title_short | Emergence of PT-symmetry breaking in open quantum systems |
| title_sort | emergence of pt symmetry breaking in open quantum systems |
| url | https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.9.4.052 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT julianhuberpeterkirtonstefanrotterpeterrabl emergenceofptsymmetrybreakinginopenquantumsystems |