Dissipative time crystals originating from parity-time symmetry

Abstract

This study aims to provide evidence regarding the emergence of a class of dissipative time crystals when $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry of the systems is restored in collective spin systems with Lindblad dynamics. First, we show that a standard model of boundary time crystals (BTCs) satisfies the Liouvillian $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry, and prove that BTC exists only when the stationary state is $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetric in the large-spin limit. Also, a similar statement is confirmed numerically for another BTC model. In addition, the mechanism of the appearance of BTCs is discussed through the development of a perturbation theory for a class of the one-spin models under weak dissipations. Consequently, we show that BTCs appear in the first-order correction when the total gain and loss are balanced. These results strongly suggest that BTCs are time crystals originating from $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry.