Non-unitary time evolution via the Chebyshev expansion method

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Áron Holló - , Eotvos Lorand University, Wigner Research Centre for Physics (Author)
  • Dániel Varjas - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Author)
  • Cosma Fulga - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat (Author)
  • László Oroszlány - , Eotvos Lorand University, Wigner Research Centre for Physics (Author)
  • Viktor Könye - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat, University of Amsterdam (Author)

Abstract

The Chebyshev expansion method is a well-established technique for computing the time evolution of quantum states, particularly in Hermitian systems with a bounded spectrum. Here, we show that the applicability of the Chebyshev expansion method extends well beyond this constraint: It remains valid across the entire complex plane and is thus suitable for arbitrary non-Hermitian matrices. We identify numerical rounding errors as the primary source of errors encountered when applying the method outside the conventional spectral bounds, and they are not caused by fundamental limitations. By carefully selecting the spectral radius and the time step, we show how these errors can be effectively suppressed, enabling accurate time evolution calculations in non-Hermitian systems. We derive an analytic upper bound for the rounding error, which serves as a practical guideline for selecting time steps in numerical simulations. As an application, we illustrate the performance of the method by computing the time evolution of wave packets in the Hatano-Nelson model.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number035301
JournalPhysical Review E
Volume113
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2026
Peer-reviewedYes