Work

Experimental Observation of the Topological Structure of Exceptional Points

Year: 2001

Type: article

Abstract: We report on a microwave cavity experiment where exceptional points (EPs), which are square root singularities of the eigenvalues as function of a complex interaction parameter, are encircled in the laboratory. The real and imaginary parts of an eigenvalue are given by the frequency and width of a resonance and the eigenvectors by the field distributions. Repulsion of eigenvalues--always associated with EPs--implies frequency anticrossing (crossing) whenever width crossing (anticrossing) is present. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors are interchanged while encircling an EP, but one of the eigenvectors undergoes a sign change which can be discerned in the field patterns.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.86.787

Authors: C. Dembowski, H.-D. Gräf, H. L. Harney, A. Heine, W. D. Heiss, H. Rehfeld, A. Richter

Institutions: Technische Universität Darmstadt, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of the Witwatersrand

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Mechanics and Non-Hermitian Physics

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W1987108226

FWCI: 5.976

Cites: 19

Cited by: 802

Related to: 10