Emergence and localization of exceptional points in an exactly solvable toy model

Abstract

The most elementary non-Hermitian quantum square-well problem with real spectrum is considered. The Schroedinger equation is required discrete and endowed with PT-symmetric Robin (i.e., two-parametric) boundary conditions. Some of the rather enigmatic aspects of impact of the variability of the parameters on the emergence of the Kato's exceptional-point (EP) singularities is clarified. In particular, the current puzzle of the apparent absence of the EP degeneracies at the odd-matrix dimensions in certain simplified one-parametric cases is explained. A not quite expected existence of a multi-band spectral structure in another simplified one-parametric family of models is also revealed.