Non-Hermitian Quantum Systems: Emergent Phenomena and New Paradigms
A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Statistical Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editors
Interests: quantum many-body systems; quantum simulation; cold-atom systems; quantum computing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: quantum simulation; non-equilibrium physics; topology; quantum information
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Non-Hermitian quantum systems have emerged as a powerful and unifying framework for describing a broad class of physical phenomena that lie beyond the traditional paradigm of closed, unitary quantum mechanics. In such systems, non-Hermiticity naturally arises from dissipation, gain, measurements, nonreciprocal transport, and coupling to external environments. In recent years, research on these systems has revealed a wealth of emergent phenomena with no direct Hermitian counterparts, motivating the development of new theoretical frameworks and experimental strategies.
A defining characteristic of non-Hermitian quantum physics is the profound restructuring of spectral properties. The emergence of complex energy spectra, biorthogonal eigenstates, and eigenmode non-orthogonality fundamentally reshapes conventional notions. Moreover, non-Hermitian systems have also transformed contemporary views on topology. The discovery of non-Hermitian topological phases and the non-Hermitian skin effect has uncovered intrinsically non-Hermitian forms of boundary sensitivity, modified bulk–boundary correspondence, and novel topological invariants, highlighting the fundamentally emergent nature of topology in non-unitary settings. From the perspective of quantum information and statistical physics, non-Hermitian dynamics raise fundamental questions concerning entanglement structure and information flow. Effective non-Hermitian descriptions can be employed to model measurement-induced dynamics and post-selected evolution.
The rapid expansion of this field has been driven by a close interplay between theory and experiment. Emergent non-Hermitian phenomena have been realized across a wide range of platforms, including photonic and acoustic lattices, electronic materials, ultracold atoms, and programmable quantum simulators, underscoring the universality and versatility of non-Hermitian paradigms.
This Special Issue will provide a comprehensive snapshot of current advances in non-Hermitian quantum systems, with particular emphasis on emergent phenomena and new paradigms. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives addressing topics including, but not limited to, non-Hermitian spectral theory and topology; PT and generalized symmetries; exceptional points and criticality; entropy and information in non-unitary quantum dynamics; measurement-induced phenomena; and experimental realizations across quantum and classical platforms.
Dr. Ruizhe Shen
Prof. Ching Hua Lee
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- non-Hermitian quantum systems
- non-unitary dynamics
- open quantum systems
- parity–time (PT) symmetry
- exceptional points
- non-Hermitian topology
- non-Hermitian skin effect
- biorthogonal quantum mechanics
- entanglement dynamics
- measurement-induced phenomena
- dissipative quantum systems
- post-selected quantum dynamics
- quantum simulators
- non-Hermitian phase transitions
- Lindblad dynamics
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