Nonreciprocal Quantum Lattices

Updated 11 November 2025

Nonreciprocal quantum lattices are defined by asymmetric hopping that produces non-Hermitian Hamiltonians and anomalous spectral topologies, including the skin effect.
They employ engineered dissipation, active driving, and external symmetry-breaking fields to enable direction-dependent quantum transport and unique scattering phenomena.
Experimental platforms in photonics, cold atoms, and circuit QED validate these models, demonstrating robust unidirectional signal routing and enhanced isolation.

Nonreciprocal quantum lattices are tight-binding systems whose hopping amplitudes or many-body couplings explicitly violate reciprocity, leading to direction-dependent transport, asymmetric localization (e.g., the non-Hermitian skin effect), and nontrivial spectral topology in both single-particle and interacting platforms. Nonreciprocity in the quantum context may arise from engineered dissipation, active driving, nonlinear interactions, or external symmetry-breaking fields, and it enables a range of phenomena not accessible in Hermitian, reciprocal systems—such as unidirectional signal routing, nonreciprocal quantum scattering, non-Hermitian band topology, higher-order skin effects, and topological phase transitions unique to open, driven, or nonlinear environments.

1. Formalism: Definitions, Hamiltonians, and Classes

Reciprocal lattices are defined by hopping amplitudes $t_{i\to j}=t_{j\to i}^*$ , yielding Hermitian single-particle Hamiltonians $H=H^\dagger$ with real spectra and time-reversal symmetry. Nonreciprocal quantum lattices, by contrast, have $t_{i\to j}\neq t_{j\to i}^*$ , producing non-Hermitian Hamiltonians $H\neq H^\dagger$ and leading to profound spectral and dynamical consequences (Wang et al., 8 Dec 2024). Minimal models include the Hatano–Nelson chain and its higher-dimensional generalizations, where forward and backward hoppings differ. The non-Hermitian classification (AI class, ordinary TRS $\mathcal T^2=1$ but lacking pseudo-Hermiticity (Wang et al., 8 Dec 2024)) depends on whether the spectrum is gapped by a point gap (no eigenvalue at $E_p$ ), a real line gap, or an imaginary line gap; these distinctions control the possibility of topologically protected edge or skin modes, as well as quantized invariants (winding number, complex Chern number).

Beyond single-particle hopping, nonreciprocity can also enter in bosonic systems through driven-dissipative couplings, as in active quantum networks where sublattices of overdamped modes induce directionality by balancing coherent and dissipative hopping (Metelmann et al., 2017), or in interacting many-body platforms via nonlinearities or asymmetric interactions.

2. Spectral Topology and Non-Hermitian Skin Effect

Nonreciprocity fundamentally alters the spectral topology under both periodic (PBC) and open (OBC) boundary conditions. Under PBC, the spectrum in the complex plane exhibits winding—closed or intertwined loops characterized by a winding number $W(E_0) = \frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_{\mathrm{BZ}} \partial_k\ln\det[H(k)-E_0]\,dk$ (Zeng et al., 2022, Xiao et al., 28 Mar 2024). For long-range nonreciprocal hopping, the PBC spectrum forms intricate inseparable loops, with the number of windings set by the hopping range; for $r_d$ -neighbor hopping, the spectrum traces a loop with $W=1,\ldots,r_d$ (Zeng et al., 2022).

Under OBC, the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE) emerges: an extensive set of eigenstates localize on a single boundary, with spatial profiles typically exponential or Gaussian depending on the details of hopping or modulation (Hou et al., 18 Jan 2024, Xiao et al., 28 Mar 2024). The existence and direction of NHSE are dictated by the PBC spectral winding—nonzero $W$ implies skin localization. In more elaborate models (next-nearest neighbor nonreciprocity or staggered modulations), NHSE can become energy dependent, so that certain eigenstates remain extended (delocalized), creating NHSE "edges" in the spectrum where localization direction reverses or extended and skin states coexist (Xiao et al., 28 Mar 2024).

Critical phenomena occur when parameters are tuned to drive transitions between skin-effect phases and extended phases. E.g., imaginary site potentials collapse spectral loops and eventually dissolve NHSE completely; linearly varying nonreciprocity similarly causes the spectrum to evolve from a real NHSE phase to purely imaginary, bulk-localized Gaussian bound states (Hou et al., 18 Jan 2024, Xiao et al., 28 Mar 2024).

3. Nonreciprocal Topological Band Structures and Higher-Order Skin Effects

The topological classification of nonreciprocal lattices goes beyond that of Hermitian systems. For 1D systems with a point gap, the winding number classifies skin modes; in 2D, a $\mathbb{Z}$ -valued "complex Chern number" is defined for bands separated by an imaginary line gap, calculated via biorthogonal Berry curvature constructed from right and left eigenvectors (Wang et al., 8 Dec 2024). Ordinary time-reversal symmetry (TRS) imposes $C_{\tilde n} = -C_{-\tilde n}$ , so complex Chern phases always come in pairs.

The higher-order skin effect (HOSE) arises in 2D lattices when 1D edge modes themselves acquire a 1D spectral winding but only on certain symmetry-selected boundaries. For instance, $C_4$ -symmetric 4-band models can exhibit $O(L)$ edge states that collapse into $O(1)$ corner-localized skin modes under full OBC, bypassing the Hermitian bulk–boundary correspondence (Wang et al., 8 Dec 2024). Even more intricate are higher-order topological knot (HOTK) phases, where all edges host braided edge bands winding nontrivially in the complex-energy plane, circulating the full boundary and characterized by knot/link invariants encoded in multiband Wilson loops. These phases sit between complex Chern insulators (chiral edge states crossing an imaginary line gap) and trivial insulators, with transitions marked by line-gap closings.

Crystalline symmetry indicators $\chi^{(n)}$ at high-symmetry points in the Brillouin zone control when such multiband HOTK phases are possible: nontriviality is guaranteed when the set of invariants cannot be trivialized by pairs of bands, but only upon grouping an $n$ -plet (Wang et al., 8 Dec 2024).

4. Nonreciprocal Dynamics: Quantum Transport and Landau-Zener Effects

Nonreciprocal lattices enable direction-dependent quantum transport phenomena. In linear systems, nonreciprocal signal routing in active quantum networks is achieved by parametric balancing of coherent (unitary) and dissipative (engineered loss) hopping. The directionality condition $\phi_{ij}=-\pi/2$ , $G_{ij} = \sqrt{\Gamma_{i;ij}\Gamma_{j;ij}}/2$ cancels the reverse propagation, resulting in perfect one-way isolation. At the network's exceptional point (EP), all eigenvalues coalesce and transport is maximally nonreciprocal (Metelmann et al., 2017).

Interacting systems introduce additional mechanisms. In quantum droplets in optical lattices, nonlinear Bloch dynamics with mean-field and Lee-Huang-Yang corrections map onto a nonlinear two-level Landau-Zener (LZ) model. The LZ tunneling from lower to upper band differs quantitatively from the reverse process despite identical sweeping protocols, due to nonlinearly induced band-gap deformation and the emergence of looped adiabatic spectra, with transitions governed by the topology of homoclinic orbits in phase space. The nonreciprocal LZ probability is controlled by the relative nonlinear parameters and crossing topology (Cheng et al., 4 Aug 2025). Analogous nonreciprocal LZ phenomena appear in Kerr and Floquet systems.

5. Nonreciprocal Quantum Scattering and Metasurfaces

Nonreciprocal response can arise even in open quantum lattices without engineered environmental asymmetry, as demonstrated in nonlinear quantum metasurfaces. Two parallel, periodic arrays of two-level atoms (metasurfaces), with broken $z\to -z$ parity (via lattice pitch or detuning differences), exhibit highly nonreciprocal total extinction cross sections when illuminated from opposite directions (Nefedkin et al., 2022). The nonreciprocal efficiency $\eta = (\sigma^f-\sigma^b)/(\sigma^f+\sigma^b)$ reaches $\mathcal{M}\sim0.7$ in small dimers and $\sim0.4$ in larger arrays, maximized when the drive Rabi frequency matches the dark-state subradiant decay rate and geometry or frequency detuning is tuned to optimally trap population in slowly decaying dark eigenmodes. This mechanism exploits interaction-induced nonlinearity and symmetry breaking, not nonreciprocal environments.

6. Nonreciprocal Lattices With Magnetic Fields and Symmetry-Breaking Transitions

The interplay of nonreciprocity and external gauge fields (e.g., synthetic magnetic fields) produces nontrivial phase diagrams. For nonreciprocal Harper–Hofstadter models, magnetic fields enforce 4D closed cyclotron orbits, guaranteeing semiclassical quantization and real Landau levels in the long-wavelength limit despite nonreciprocal hopping. The Hamiltonian exhibits mirror–time (MT) symmetry, and a spectral transition occurs when this symmetry is spontaneously broken, controlled by boundary conditions and nonreciprocal strength (Shao et al., 2021). The MT order parameter, defined via overlaps of eigenstates with the MT operation, quantifies the transition. Under open boundaries, Landau quantization persists (real spectrum), but full periodic boundaries enable the emergence of complex conjugate eigenpairs and MT symmetry breaking. The critical boundary-hopping parameter and nonreciprocity exhibit an exponential relation, tunable in both theoretical and experimental settings.

7. Experimental Realizations and Practical Applications

Nonreciprocal quantum lattices are implemented in arrayed photonics (CMOS-compatible lattices with magneto-optic isolation (El-Ganainy et al., 2013)), cold-atom optical lattices with Raman-induced synthetic gauge fields and controlled dissipation, electrical circuit networks employing negative impedance converters for nonreciprocal hopping (Zeng et al., 2022), superconducting circuit QED platforms with parametric driving (Metelmann et al., 2017), and atomically engineered quantum metasurfaces (Nefedkin et al., 2022). Photonic realizations exploit precisely engineered coupling and magneto-optic elements to achieve isolation ratios exceeding 75 dB over millimeter scales, combining state-transfer physics, surface Bloch oscillations, and polarization selectivity (El-Ganainy et al., 2013). The salient phenomena—NHSE, topological edge and corner transport, nonreciprocal LZ tunneling, and robust quantum routing—presently underpin research in realizing directionally protected devices, enhanced quantum-limited amplification, and designer control over quantum matter flows.

Experimental observables range from output power ratios in photonics, extinction cross sections in quantum optics, admittance spectra in synthetic circuits, to direct imaging of edge/corner-localized density profiles in cold-atom and magnonic implementations. Systematic parameter sweeps (lattice depth, drive frequency, coupling asymmetry, gain/loss) elucidate the nonreciprocal phase diagrams, and allow direct mapping between theoretical invariants (winding numbers, Chern numbers, MT order parameter) and measurable quantities.

Nonreciprocal quantum lattices thus redefine quantum transport and band structure beyond Hermitian paradigms: their anomalous skin and edge localization, multiband knot invariants, and tunable, direction-dependent tunneling and scattering responses are at the forefront of both fundamental studies in non-Hermitian quantum topology and the development of engineered quantum devices for robust unidirectional transmission, signal isolation, and beyond-linear quantum information flows.