Super-exponential diffusion in nonlinear non-Hermitian systems

Abstract

We investigate the quantum diffusion of a periodically kicked particle subjecting to both nonlinearity induced self-interactions and $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric potentials. We find that, due to the interplay between the nonlinearity and non-Hermiticity, the expectation value of mean square of momentum scales with time in a super-exponential form $⟨p^2(t)⟩\propto \exp [\beta \exp (\alpha t)]$, which is faster than any known rates of quantum diffusion. In the $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetry-breaking phase, the intensity of a state increases exponentially with time, leading to the exponential growth of the interaction strength. The feedback of the intensity-dependent nonlinearity further turns the interaction energy into the kinetic energy, resulting in a super-exponential growth of the mean energy. These theoretical predictions are in good agreement with numerical simulations in a $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric nonlinear kicked particle. Our discovery establishes a new mechanism of diffusion in interacting and dissipative quantum systems. Important implications and possible experimental observations are discussed.

6 pages, 3 figures