Localized states and skin effect around non-Hermitian impurities in tight-binding models

TL;DR

This paper investigates how non-Hermitian impurities in one-dimensional tight-binding models lead to localized states, skin effects, and exceptional lines, using generalized Bloch theorem formalism to analyze spectral properties and eigenstate localization.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis of localized states and skin effects caused by non-Hermitian impurities using the generalized Bloch theorem in tight-binding models.

Findings

Hermitian impurities can host localized edge states with real energies.

Non-Hermitian impurities can produce purely imaginary eigenvalues and exceptional lines.

An intermediate regime exhibits a non-Hermitian skin effect with state localization towards the impurity.

Abstract

We use the generalized Bloch theorem formalism of Alase {\it et al.} [{\it Phys. Rev. Lett.} {\bf 117} 076804 (2016)] to analyze simple one-dimensional tight-binding lattice systems connected by Hermitian bonds (all with the same hopping parameter $t$), but containing one bond impurity which can be either Hermitian or non-Hermitian. We calculate the band structure, the bulk-boundary correspondence indicator ($D_L(\epsilon)$) and analyze the eigenvalues of the lattice translation operator ($z$), for each eigenstate. From the $z$ values the generalized Brillouin zone can be reconstructed. If the impurity is Hermitian (and $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric), we find a parameter regime in which two localized edge states separate from the tight-binding band. We then simulate a non-Hermitian impurity by keeping hopping in one direction of the bond impurity the same as the rest of the tight-binding system, and varying only its reciprocal. Again, we find a region with localized edge states, but in this case the energy eigenvalues are purely imaginary. We also find that in this case the two zero energy eigenvectors coalesce, hence this system is an exceptional line. We then perform an interpolative scan between the above two scenarios and find that there is an intermediate region exhibiting a non-Hermitian skin effect. In this region a macroscopic fraction of states acquire complex energy eigenvalues and exhibit localization towards the impurity. Our numerical results are supported by a detailed analysis of the solutions of the boundary/impurity equation.