Eigenstate entanglement entropy in a <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi mathvariant="script">PT</mml:mi></mml:math>-invariant non-Hermitian system

Abstract

Much has been learned about universal properties of the eigenstate entanglement entropy for one-dimensional lattice models, which is described by a Hermitian Hamiltonian, while much less has been understood for non-Hermitian systems. In the present work we study a non-Hermitian, noninteracting model of fermions which is invariant under combined $PT$ transformation. Our models show a phase transition from a $PT$ unbroken phase to broken phase as we tune the Hermiticity-breaking parameter. Entanglement entropy of such systems can be defined in two different ways, depending on whether we consider only right (or equivalently, only left) eigenstates or a combination of both left and right eigenstates which form a complete set of biorthonormal eigenstates. We demonstrate that the entanglement entropy of the ground state and also of the typical excited states shows some unique features in both of these phases of the system. Most strikingly, entanglement entropy obtained taking a combination of both left and right eigenstates shows an exponential divergence with system size at the transition point. While in the $PT$-unbroken phase, the entanglement entropy obtained from only the right (or equivalently, left) eigenstates shows identical behavior to an equivalent Hermitian system which is connected to the non-Hermitian system by a similarity transformation.