https://doi.org/10.1007/s100530170017
The chirality of exceptional points
1
Department of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, P.O. Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa
2
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69029 Heidelberg, Germany
Corresponding author: a heiss@physnet.phys.wits.ac.za
Received:
9
April
2001
Revised:
19
July
2001
Published online: 15 November 2001
Exceptional points are singularities of the spectrum and wave functions of a Hamiltonian which occur as functions of a complex interaction parameter. They are accessible in experiments with dissipative systems. We show that the wave function at an exceptional point is a specific superposition of two configurations. The phase relation between the configurations is equivalent to a chirality which should be detectable in an experiment.
PACS: 03.65.Vf – Phases: geometric; dynamic or topological / 02.30.-f – Function theory, analysis / 05.45.-a – Nonlinear dynamics and nonlinear dynamical systems
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2001
