Observation of non-Hermitian many-body phase transition in a Rydberg-atom array

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2512.02753v1
• Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:35:23 GMT
• Title: Observation of non-Hermitian many-body phase transition in a Rydberg-atom array
• Authors: Yao-Wen Zhang, Biao Xu, Yijia Zhou, De-Sheng Xiang, Hao-Xiang Liu, Peng Zhou, Kuan Zhang, Ren Liao, Thomas Pohl, Weibin Li, Lin Li,
• Abstract summary: We experimentally realize a non-Hermitian XY model in a strongly-interacting Rydberg-atom array.<n>We observe distinct dynamical signatures of a PT-symmetry-breaking phase transition.<n>Our results reveal intricate interaction-induced effects on PT-symmetry breaking and open the door for exploring non-Hermitian many-body dynamics.
• Score: 9.878630773004595
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Non-Hermitian quantum mechanics with parity-time (PT) symmetry offers a powerful framework for exploring the complex interplay of dissipation and coherent interactions in open quantum systems. While PT-symmetry breaking has been studied in various physical systems, its observation on a quantum many-body level remains elusive. Here, we experimentally realize a non-Hermitian XY model in a strongly-interacting Rydberg-atom array. By measuring the Loschmidt Echo of a fully polarized state, we observe distinct dynamical signatures of a PT-symmetry-breaking phase transition. Dipole interactions are found to play a crucial role, not only determining the transition point but also triggering a non-Hermitian many-body blockade effect that protects the Loschmidt Echo from decay with a non-monotonic dependence on the system size. Our results reveal intricate interaction-induced effects on PT-symmetry breaking and open the door for exploring non-Hermitian many-body dynamics beyond single-particle and mean-field paradigms.

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