Anomalous dynamical response of non-Hermitian topological phases

Abstract

Composite topological phases with intriguing topology like M${\"o}$bius strips emerge in sublattice symmetric non-Hermitian systems due to spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry at some parameter regime. While these phases have been characterized by nonadiabatic complex geometric phases of multiple participating complex bands, the physical properties of these phases largely remain unknown. We explore the dynamical response of these phases by studying Loschmidt echo from an initial state of the Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, which is evolved by a non-Hermitian SSH Hamiltonian after a sudden quench in parameters. Topology-changing quenches display non-analytical temporal behavior of return rates (logarithm of the Loschmidt echo) for the non-Hermitian SSH Hamiltonian in the trivial, M${\"o}$bius and topological phase. Moreover, the dynamical topological order parameter appears only at one side of the Brillouin zone for the M${\"o}$bius phase case in contrast to both sides of the Brillouin zone for quench by the trivial and topological phase of the non-Hermitian SSH model. The last feature is a dynamical signature of different symmetry constraints on the real and imaginary parts of the complex bands in the M${\"o}$bius phase.