Non-Hermitian Kibble-Zurek mechanism with tunable complexity in single-photon interferometry

Understand

Non-Hermitian descriptions of quantum matter have seen impressive progress recently, with major advances in understanding central aspects such as their topological properties or the physics of exceptional points, the non-Hermitian counterpart of critical points.

• Here, we use single-photon interferometry to reconstruct the non-Hermitian Kibble-Zurek mechanism and its distinct scaling behavior for exceptional points, by simulating the defect production upon performing slow parameter ramps.
• Importantly, we are able to realise also higher-order exceptional points, providing experimental access to their theoretically predicted characteristic Kibble-Zurek scaling behaviour.
• Our work represents a crucial step in increasing the experimental complexity of non-Hermitian quantum time-evolution.