English

Precision-Induced Irreversibility in non-Hermitian systems

Quantum Physics 2026-04-23 v2 Statistical Mechanics

Abstract

Non-Hermitian evolution is mathematically invertible, yet finite dynamic range imposes a sharp operational limit on reversibility. We identify Precision-Induced Irreversibility (PIR): amplification, mode mixing (as warranted by non-normality), and a finite resolution floor -- whether set by numerical precision, detector noise, or environmental fluctuations -- conspire to produce a quantitative predictability horizon TofT_{\mathrm{of}}, beyond which distinct states collapse onto identical representations. Within the effective non-Hermitian description, the mechanism requires neither environmental decoherence nor nonlinear dynamics; remove any ingredient and reversibility can be restored. Echo-fidelity tests confirm this transition across arbitrary-precision arithmetic and hardware, revealing where formal invertibility and physical reversibility diverge.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2603.22284,
  title  = {Precision-Induced Irreversibility in non-Hermitian systems},
  author = {Luis E. F. Foa Torres and G. Pappas and V. Achilleos and D. Bautista Avilés},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.22284},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

6 pages, 3 figures; includes Supplemental Material (15 pages, 3 figures)

R2 v1 2026-07-01T11:33:48.519Z