Professor Guancong MA’s New Research Finds Anderson Transition at Complex Energies in One-Dimensional Parity-Time-Symmetric Disordered Systems

Professor Guancong MA’s New Research Finds Anderson Transition at Complex Energies in One-Dimensional Parity-Time-Symmetric Disordered Systems

Previous theoretical studies found that Anderson transition can exist in one-dimensional (1D) non-Hermitian disordered rings with chiral hopping, defying the scaling theory of localization for Hermitian systems. In these systems, localized (extended) modes are associated with real (complex) energies.

A new study conducted by Professor Guancong Ma from the Department of Physics at Hong Kong Baptist University and his team has discovered that Anderson localized modes with complex energies can also exist in one-dimensional parity-time-symmetric disordered systems. The paper was published in the world's premier physics letter journal - Physical Review Letters. 

This study shows that the emergence of the complex-energy localized modes (CELMs) directly ties to the properties of the corresponding pristine non-Hermitian system. Specifically, the density of states of the complex spectrum under the periodic boundary condition and the non-Bloch parity-time transition of the open-boundary chain both play critical roles in the emergence of the CELMs. The coexistence of extended modes, real-energy localized modes (RELMs), and CELMs should be a generic phenomenon for 1D non-Hermitian disordered systems under class AI. 

This research highlights the interplay between Anderson mechanism and non-Hermitian physics enriches the properties of disordered media and opens new possibilities for controlling wave transport. We celebrate Professor Ma’s notable research achievements and anticipate his continued impact!

URL: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.066301