Observation of non-Hermitian many-body phase transition in a Rydberg-atom array
Abstract
Non-Hermitian quantum mechanics with parity-time (PT) symmetry offers a powerful framework for exploring the complex interplay of dissipation and coherent interactions in open quantum systems. While PT-symmetry breaking has been studied in various physical systems, its observation on a quantum many-body level remains elusive. Here, we experimentally realize a non-Hermitian XY model in a strongly-interacting Rydberg-atom array. By measuring the Loschmidt Echo of a fully polarized state, we observe distinct dynamical signatures of a PT-symmetry-breaking phase transition. Dipole interactions are found to play a crucial role, not only determining the transition point but also triggering a non-Hermitian many-body blockade effect that protects the Loschmidt Echo from decay with a non-monotonic dependence on the system size. Our results reveal intricate interaction-induced effects on PT-symmetry breaking and open the door for exploring non-Hermitian many-body dynamics beyond single-particle and mean-field paradigms.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.02753,
title = {Observation of non-Hermitian many-body phase transition in a Rydberg-atom array},
author = {Yao-Wen Zhang and Biao Xu and Yijia Zhou and De-Sheng Xiang and Hao-Xiang Liu and Peng Zhou and Kuan Zhang and Ren Liao and Thomas Pohl and Weibin Li and Lin Li},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.02753},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
9 pages, 5 figures + Supplementary Materials 12 pages, 12 figures