Many classical and quantum systems can be modeled with coupled, damped harmonic oscillators where the damping rate emerges from a weak interaction with the environment. If at a critical coupling strength, the phase of the coupling is varied slowly, then displacements are boosted by stretched exponentials, and the overall phase is governed by a quantized geometric phase (aka Berry phase).
In this talk, I will first review geometric phases in various closed, classical and quantum systems, identify critical damping as a non-Hermitian degeneracy (aka exceptional point), elaborate on the above claim, and explain how it could be tested in an optomechanics experiment here at Yale (Jack Harris’ group).
Lunch will be available starting at 11:45 a.m. outside WLC-245. RSVP required at https://forms.gle/TqAmbMD6jYVNXKrn9