Non-Hermitian impurities in Dirac systems

Abstract

Quasiparticle states in Dirac systems with complex impurity potentials are investigated. It is shown that an impurity site with loss leads to a nontrivial distribution of the local density of states (LDOS). While the real part of defect potential induces a well-pronounced peak in the density of states (DOS), the DOS is either weakly enhanced at small frequencies or even forms a peak at the zero frequency for a lattice in the case of non-Hermitian impurity. As for the spatial distribution of the LDOS, it is enhanced in the vicinity of impurity but shows a dip at a defect itself when the potential is sufficiently strong. The results for a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice demonstrate the characteristic trigonal-shaped profile for the LDOS. The latter acquires a double-trigonal pattern in the case of two defects placed at neighboring sites. The effects of non-Hermitian impurities could be tested both in photonic lattices and certain condensed matter setups.