Non-Hermitian propagation in Glauber-Fock optical lattices

Abstract

The effect of a non-unitary transformation on an initial Hermitian operator is studied. The initial (Hermitian) optical system is a Glauber-Fock optical lattice. The resulting non-Hermitian Hamiltonian models an anisotropic (Glauber-Fock) waveguide array of the Hatano-Nelson-type. Several cases are analyzed and exact analytical solutions for both the Hermitian and non-Hermitian Schr\"odinger problems are given, as they are simply connected. Indeed, such transformation can be regarded as a non-unitary Supersymmetric (SUSY) transformation and the resulting non-Hermitian Hamiltonian can be considered as representing an open system that interchanges energy with the environment.