Chiral control of quantum states in non-Hermitian spin-orbit-coupled fermions

Abstract

Spin-orbit coupling is an essential mechanism underlying quantum phenomena such as the spin Hall effect and topological insulators. It has been widely studied in well-isolated Hermitian systems, but much less is known about the role dissipation plays in spin-orbit-coupled systems. Here, we implement dissipative spin-orbit-coupled bands filled with ultracold fermions, and observe parity-time symmetry breaking as a result of the competition between the spin-orbit coupling and dissipation. Tunable dissipation, introduced by state-selective atom loss, enables us to tune the energy gap and close it at the critical dissipation value, the so-called exceptional point. In the vicinity of the critical point, the state evolution exhibits a chiral response, which enables us to tune the spin-orbit coupling and dissipation dynamically, revealing topologically robust chiral spin transfer when the quantum state encircles the exceptional point. This demonstrates that we can explore non-Hermitian topological states with spin-orbit coupling.