Parent Hamiltonian and intrinsic phase transition in non-Hermitian photonic systems

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2607.28964v1
• Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:35:37 GMT
• Title: Parent Hamiltonian and intrinsic phase transition in non-Hermitian photonic systems
• Abstract summary: We report the first experimental generation of non-Hermitian parent Hamiltonian (NH-PH) systems.<n>We characterize the properties of the system by measuring four different order parameters that probe non-reciprocal correlations, chiral imbalance, and conventional antiferromagnetic correlations.<n>Our work provides the first experimental realization and characterization of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with controllable and customizable properties.
• Score: 20.22426269452629
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Non-Hermitian systems host phenomena absent in Hermitian physics, but realizing Hamiltonians with intrinsic non-Hermitian properties remains challenging. The theoretical method of non-Hermitian parent Hamiltonian (NH-PH) enables the construction of a non-Hermitian system from a pair of matrix product states (MPSs) with tailored properties. Here, we report the first experimental generation of NH-PHs. This generation starts from MPSs that represent asymmetric Affleck--Kennedy--Lieb--Tasaki (AKLT) states. The construction is validated with single photons via imaginary-time evolution of the generated NH-PH to obtain its left and right ground states. We then characterize the properties of the system by measuring four different order parameters that probe non-reciprocal correlations, chiral imbalance, and conventional antiferromagnetic correlations. Furthermore, extending the framework to a larger system with a different model, we observe an intrinsic non-Hermitian phase transition, manifested by abrupt jumps of an order parameter when the designated zero-energy modes cease to be the globally lowest-energy states. Our work provides the first experimental realization and characterization of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with controllable and customizable properties, opening new avenues for exploring intrinsic non-Hermitian phenomena across diverse physical platforms.

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