Probability Conservation and Localization in a One-Dimensional Non-Hermitian System

Abstract

We consider transport through a non-Hermitian conductor connected to a pair of Hermitian leads and analyze the underlying non-Hermitian scattering problem. In a typical non-Hermitian system, such as a Hatano--Nelson-type asymmetric hopping model, the continuity of probability and probability current is broken at a local level. As a result, the notion of transmission and reflection probabilities becomes ill-defined. Instead of these probabilities, we introduce the injection rate $R_{\rm I}=1-|{\cal R}|^2$ and the transmission rate $R_{\rm T}=|{\cal T}|^2$ as relevant physical quantities, where ${\cal T}$ and ${\cal R}$ are the transmission and reflection amplitudes, respectively. In a generic non-Hermitian case, $R_{\rm I}$ and $R_{\rm T}$ have independent information. We provide a modified continuity equation in terms of incoming and outgoing currents, from which we derive a global probability conservation law that relates $R_{\rm I}$ and $R_{\rm T}$. We have tested the usefulness of our probability conservation law in the interpretation of numerical results for non-Hermitian localization and delocalization phenomena.