📝 SummarXiv

Abstract

Although the homotopy-knot theory has been utilized to implement effective topological classification for non-Hermitian systems, the physical implications underlying distinct knot topologies remain ambiguous and are rarely addressed. In this work, we propose a one-dimensional non-Hermitian four-band lattice model and map out its phase diagram according to the distinct knot structures residing in the moment space. The topological phase diagram is ascertained through a spectral winding number. Furthermore, we derive the exact analytic formula for the phase boundaries that delineate different knot topologies. To explore the concrete physical implications of distinct knot topologies, we investigate the many-body ground state entanglement entropy for free fermions loaded on such non-Hermitian lattice in real space. It turns out that different knot topologies imply different magnitudes of entanglement. Moreover, we show that the central charge c extracted from systematic finite-size scaling of entanglement entropy provides effective description of the phase diagram of the knot topology. Finally, we further confirm the phase boundaries for the topological phase transitions alternatively by numerical calculations of the many-body ground state fidelity susceptibility. Our results showcase the connection between knot topology and entanglement of non-Hermitian systems and may facilitate further exploration of the profound and practical physical implications of knot topology.