${\cal PT}$ symmetry of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with imaginary boundary potentials and next-nearest-neighboring coupling

Abstract: By introducing the next-nearest-neighboring (NNN) intersite coupling, we investigate the eigenenergies of the $\cal PT$-symmetric non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model with two conjugated imaginary potentials at the end sites. It is found that with the strengthening of NNN coupling, the particle-hole symmetry is destroyed. As a result, the bonding band is first narrowed and then undergoes the top-bottom reversal followed by the its width's increase, whereas the antibonding band is widened monotonously. In this process, the topological state extends into the topologically-trivial region, and its energy departs from the energy zero point, accompanied by the emergence of one new topological state in this region. All these results give rise to the complication of the topological properties and the manner of $\cal PT$-symmetry breaking. It can be concluded that the NNN coupling takes important effects to the change of the topological properties of the non-Hermitian SSH system.