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Updated: Aug 30, 2025

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving
Published on: March 30, 2017
Dynamic Signatures of Non-Hermitian Skin Effect and Topology in Ultracold Atoms
Qian Liang1, Dizhou Xie1, Zhaoli Dong1
1Interdisciplinary Center of Quantum Information, State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Abstract:
The non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE), the accumulation of eigen-wave functions at boundaries of open systems, underlies a variety of exotic properties that defy conventional wisdom. While the NHSE and its intriguing impact on band topology and dynamics have been observed in classical or photonic systems, their demonstration in a quantum gas system remains elusive. Here we report the experimental realization of a dissipative Aharonov-Bohm chain-non-Hermitian topological model with NHSE-in the momentum space of a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate. We identify signatures of the NHSE in the condensate dynamics, and perform Bragg spectroscopy to resolve topological edge states against a background of localized bulk states. Our Letter sets the stage for further investigation on the interplay of many-body statistics and interactions with the NHSE, and is a significant step forward in the quantum control and simulation of non-Hermitian physics.
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