The physics of exceptional points

TL;DR

Exceptional points are spectral singularities that occur across various physical systems, influencing phenomena from quantum phase transitions to optical experiments, and their understanding is crucial for advancing multiple fields of physics.

Contribution

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the nature, occurrence, and implications of exceptional points across classical and quantum physics, highlighting their ubiquity and significance.

Findings

EPs are involved in symmetry breaking in ${ m PT}$-symmetric Hamiltonians

EPs influence quantum phase transitions and chaos

EPs affect multichannel scattering and spectral approximations

Abstract

A short resume is given about the nature of exceptional points (EPs) followed by discussions about their ubiquitous occurrence in a great variety of physical problems. EPs feature in classical as well as in quantum mechanical problems. They are associated with symmetry breaking for ${\cal PT}$-symmetric Hamiltonians, where a great number of experiments have been performed in particular in optics, and to an increasing extent in atomic and molecular physics. EPs are involved in quantum phase transition and quantum chaos, they produce dramatic effects in multichannel scattering, specific time dependence and more. In nuclear physics they are associated with instabilities and continuum problems. Being spectral singularities they also affect approximation schemes.