Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 37: Quantum Chaos II

DY 37.5: Talk

Thursday, March 17, 2011, 17:00–17:15, ZEU 118

From Fragile to Robust Pseudo-Hermitian Phase in Disordered PT-Symmetric Lattices — •Ragnar Fleischmann — Max-Planck-Institut für Dynamik und Selbstorganisation, Göttingen

Non-hermitian Hamiltonians exhibiting PT-symmetry have sparked an extensive research effort in recent years due to their intriguing property of allowing for a pseudo-hermitian phase with an all real eigenvalue-spectrum [1]. This PT-symmetric phase in general will be spontaneously broken with the variation of a (gain/loss) parameter giving way to a phase of brokenPT-symmetry with a fully or partially complex spectrum. Theoretical work on PT-systems spans from quantum field theory to solid state physics. Most recently, however, with the first experimental realizations of such systems using optical wave guides [2] the center of interest shifted onto photonic systems. Here I will present our recent results on the influence of disorder on symmetry breaking and dynamics in PT-symmetric tight binding models [3] that can be used to describe light propagation in optical wave guide arrays.

• [1] C. M. Bender, Rep. Prog. Phys. 70, 947-1018 (2007).
• [2] A. Guoet al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, (2009); C.E. Rüter et al, Nat Phys (2010).
• [3] O. Bendix, R. Fleischmann, T. Kottos, and B. Shapiro, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103(3):030402 (2009); O. Bendix, R. Fleischmann, T. Kottos, und B. Shapiro, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 43, 265305 (2010); M.C. Zheng, D.N. Christodoulides, R. Fleischmann, and T. Kottos (2010) Phys. Rev. A 82(1):010103(R).