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 $\mathcal{PT}$-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 $\langle p^2(t)\rangle\propto\exp[\beta\exp(\alpha t)]$, which is faster than any known rates of quantum diffusion. In the $\mathcal{PT}$-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 $\cal{PT}$-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.