Level statistics of extended states in random non-Hermitian Hamiltonians

Abstract

Absence of level repulsion between extended states in random non-Hermitian systems is demonstrated. As a result, the general Wigner-Dyson distributions of level spacing of diffusive metals in the usual Hermitian systems is replaced by the Poisson distribution for quasiparticle level spacing of non-Hermitian disordered metals in the thermodynamic limit of infinite system size. This is a very surprising result because Poisson statistics is universally true for the Anderson insulators where energy eigenstates do not overlap with each other so that energy levels are independent from each other.For disordered metals where different eigenstates overlap with each other, one should expect different levels trying to stay away from each other so that the Poisson distribution should not apply there. Our results show that the larger non-Hermitian energy (dissipation) can invalidate level repulsion principle that holds dearly in quantum mechanics. Thus, our theory provides a unified picture for recent discovery of so called "level attraction" in various systems. It provides also a theoretical basis for manipulating energy levels.