$\mathcal{PT}$-Symmetry Enhanced Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Superfluidity

Abstract

Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition, the topological phase transition to a quasi-long range order in a two-dimensional (2D) system, is a hallmark of low-dimensional topological physics. The recent emergence of non-Hermitian physics, particularly parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry, raises a natural question about the fate of low-dimensional orders (e.g., BKT transition) in the presence of complex energy spectrum. Here we investigate the BKT phase transition in a 2D degenerate Fermi gas with an imaginary Zeeman field obeying $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry. Despite complex energy spectrum, $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry guarantees that the superfluid density and many other quantities are real. Surprisingly, the imaginary Zeeman field enhances the superfluid density, yielding higher BKT transition temperature than that in Hermitian systems. In the weak interaction region, the transition temperature can be much larger than that in the strong interaction limit. Our work showcases a surprising interplay between low-dimensional topological defects and non-Hermitian effects, paving the way for studying non-Hermitian low-dimensional phase transitions.