Abstract
We introduce and study a novel class of sensors whose sensitivity grows exponentially with the size of the device. Remarkably, this drastic enhancement does not rely on any fine-tuning, but is found to be a stable phenomenon immune to local perturbations. Specifically, the physical mechanism behind this striking phenomenon is intimately connected to the anomalous sensitivity to boundary conditions observed in non-Hermitian topological systems. We outline concrete platforms for the practical implementation of these non-Hermitian topological sensors ranging from classical metamaterials to synthetic quantum materials.
Highlights
Introduction.—High-precision sensors represent a key technology that is of ubiquitous importance in both science and everyday life
Type of devices coined non-Hermitian topological sensors (NTOS). These systems are designed such that the physical quantity to be detected effectively couples to the boundary conditions of an extended system of 2N − 1 lattice sites [34], e.g., by modifying the coupling Γ between the ends of the NTOS with a tunneling barrier
We demonstrate both analytically and numerically that the exponential amplification of the sensitivity corresponding to Re1⁄2α > 0 is a generic and robust phenomenon that does not rely on any fine-tuning or symmetry and is as such immune to local perturbations including random disorder in the NTOS
Summary
Introduction.—High-precision sensors represent a key technology that is of ubiquitous importance in both science and everyday life. The physical mechanism behind this striking phenomenon is intimately connected to the anomalous sensitivity to boundary conditions observed in non-Hermitian topological systems.
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