Combinatorics

Physics

Topology (electrical circuits)

Mathematics

Hermitian matrix

Statistical physics

Phase transition

Quasicrystal

Condensed matter physics

Theoretical physics

Phase (matter)

Quantum mechanics

Physical Review Letters

Non-Hermiticity significantly enriches the properties of topological models, leading to exotic features such as the non-Hermitian skin effects and non-Bloch bulk-boundary correspondence that have no counterparts in Hermitian settings. Its impact is particularly illustrating in non-Hermitian quasicrystals where the interplay between non-Hermiticity and quasiperiodicity results in the concurrence of the delocalization-localization transition, the parity-time (PT)-symmetry breaking, and the onset of the non-Hermitian skin effects. Here, we experimentally simulate non-Hermitian quasicrystals using photonic quantum walks. Using dynamic observables, we demonstrate that the system can transit from a delocalized, PT-symmetry broken phase that features non-Hermitian skin effects, to a localized, PT-symmetry unbroken phase with no non-Hermitian skin effects. The measured critical point is consistent with the theoretical prediction through a spectral winding number, confirming the topological origin of the phase transition. More interestingly, we also provide the first experimental evidence for mobility edges which are induced by non-Hermiticity. Our Letter opens the avenue of investigating the interplay of non-Hermiticity, quasiperiodicity, and spectral topology in open quantum systems.

Topological Phase Transitions and Mobility Edges in Non-Hermitian Quasicrystals