Biorthogonal Time-Dependent Variational Principle for Non-Hermitian Systems

Abstract

We develop a biorthogonal time-dependent variational principle for real-time dynamics of non-Hermitian quantum many-body systems. Independent left and right matrix-product states obey coupled bivariational tangent-space equations whose cross-Gram matrix defines an oblique projection. A matrix-free scaled Taylor action propagates the resulting non-normal local generators without assembling dense matrices or storing a Krylov basis. We distinguish the fully coupled algorithm, which solves the cross-pairing problem and truncates the two bond bases jointly, from an efficient independently propagated approximation used for large systems. Independent truncation can make the retained left-right pairing nearly singular; overlap drift and the smallest singular value of the bond cross matrix expose this failure, while coupled truncation substantially delays it. Exact benchmarks and convergence tests validate the method. Applied to an interacting long-range non-Hermitian Ising chain, it resolves a biorthogonal dynamical quantum phase transition and shows that a weak imaginary field shifts the leading critical time from $t^{\ast }|J|=1.84$ to $1.04$.