Monopoles in non-Hermitian systems

Abstract: The monopole for the geometric curvature is studied for non-Hermitian systems. We find that the monopole contains not only the exceptional points but also branch cuts. As the mathematical choice of branch cut in the complex plane is rather arbitrary, the monopole changes with the branch-cut choice. Despite this branch-cut dependence, our monopole is invariant under the $GL(l,\mathbb{C})$ gauge transformation that is inherent in non-Hermitian systems. Although our results are generic, they are presented in the context of a two-mode non-Hermitian Dirac model. A corresponding two-mode Hermitian system is also discussed to illustrate the essential difference between monopoles in Hermitian systems and non-Hermitian systems.