Non-Hermitian eigenvalue knots and their isotopic equivalence

The spectrum of a non-Hermitian system generically forms a two-dimensional complex Riemannian manifold with distinct topology from the underlying parameter space. Spectral topology permits parametric loops to map the affiliated eigenvalue trajectories into knots. In this work, through analyzing exceptional points and their topology, we uncover the necessary considerations for constructing eigenvalue knots and establish their relation to spectral topology. Using an acoustic system with two periodic synthetic dimensions, we experimentally realize several knots with braid index 3. In addition, by highlighting the role of branch cuts on the eigenvalue manifolds, we show that eigenvalue knots produced by homotopic parametric loops are isotopic such that they can deform into one another by type-II or type-III Reidemeister moves. Our results not only provide a general recipe for constructing eigenvalue knots but also expand the current understanding of eigenvalue knots by showing that they contain information beyond that of the spectral topology

Realization and Topological Properties of Third-Order Exceptional Lines Embedded in Exceptional Surfaces

As the counterpart of Hermitian nodal structures, the geometry formed by exceptional points (EPs), such as exceptional lines (ELs), entails intriguing spectral topology. We report the experimental realization of order-3 exceptional lines (EL3) that are entirely embedded in order-2 exceptional surfaces (ES2) in a three-dimensional periodic synthetic momentum space. The EL3 and the concomitant ES2, together with the topology of the underlying space, prohibit the evaluation of their topology in the eigenvalue manifold by prevailing topological characterization methods. We resolve this issue by defining a winding number that associates with the resultants of the Hamiltonian. This resultant winding number detects EL3 but ignores the ES2, allowing the diagnosis of the topological currents carried by the EL3, which enables the prediction of their evolution under perturbations. Our results exemplify unprecedented topology of higher-order exceptional geometries and may inspire new non-Hermitian topological applications.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Four-Dimensional Higher-Order Chern Insulator and Its Acoustic Realization

We present a theoretical study and experimental realization of a system that is simultaneously a four-dimensional (4D) Chern insulator and a higher-order topological insulator (HOTI). The system sustains the coexistence of (4-1)-dimensional chiral topological hypersurface modes (THMs) and (4-2)-dimensional chiral topological surface modes (TSMs). Our study reveals that the THMs are protected by second Chern numbers, and the TSMs are protected by a topological invariant composed of two first Chern numbers, each belonging a Chern insulator existing in sub-dimensions. With the synthetic coordinates fixed, the THMs and TSMs respectively manifest as topological edge modes (TEMs) and topological corner modes (TCMs) in the real space, which are experimentally observed in a 2D acoustic lattice. These TCMs are not related to quantized polarizations, making them fundamentally distinctive from existing examples. We further show that our 4D topological system offers an effective way for the manipulation of the frequency, location, and the number of the TCMs, which is highly desirable for applications.Comment: Main text 19 pages, 6 figures. Supplemental materials 18 pages, 12 figure