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Observation of Restored Adiabatic State Transfer in Time-Modulated Non-Hermitian Systems
Xiaowei Wang1, Ievgen I Arkhipov2, Quan Lin3
1Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China.
Nature Communications
|May 12, 2026
Summary
Researchers restored adiabatic state dynamics in non-Hermitian systems by controlling exceptional points (EPs). This breakthrough enables symmetric state transfer, crucial for advanced optical devices and quantum information technologies.
Area of Science:
- Non-Hermitian physics
- Topological photonics
- Quantum information science
Background:
- Exceptional points (EPs) in non-Hermitian systems exhibit unique properties like chiral mode switching.
- Adiabatic state transfer in time-modulated systems is challenging due to complex spectra and non-adiabatic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the restoration of adiabatic state dynamics in non-Hermitian systems.
- To achieve symmetric state transfer regardless of parameter space trajectory direction.
- To implement a universal switch between symmetric and asymmetric state transfer regimes.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a two-mode photonic setup.
- Steering the system along specifically designed parameter space trajectories.
- Engineering conditions for a purely real spectrum of the non-Hermitian evolution operator.
Main Results:
- Achieved adiabatic state dynamics, restoring symmetric state transfer.
- Demonstrated controlled switching between symmetric (adiabatic) and chiral (non-adiabatic) regimes.
- Implemented a universal symmetric-asymmetric two-mode switch.
Conclusions:
- The findings enable harnessing topological spectral properties of non-Hermitian systems.
- Paves the way for practical optical wave-manipulation devices.
- Advances classical and quantum information technologies through novel control of spectral properties.
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