Topological spin textures in electronic non-Hermitian systems

Non-Hermitian systems have been discussed mostly in the context of open systems and nonequilibrium. Recent experimental progress is much from optical, cold-atomic, and classical platforms due to the vast tunability and clear identification of observables. However, their counterpart in solid-state electronic systems in equilibrium remains unmasked although highly desired, where a variety of materials are available, calculations are solidly founded, and accurate spectroscopic techniques can be applied. We demonstrate that, in the surface state of a topological insulator with spin-dependent relaxation due to magnetic impurities, highly nontrivial topological soliton spin textures appear in momentum space. Such spin-channel phenomena are delicately related to the type of non-Hermiticity and correctly reveal the most robust non-Hermitian features detectable spectroscopically. Moreover, the distinct topological soliton objects can be deformed to each other, mediated by topological transitions driven by tuning across a critical direction of doped magnetism. These results not only open a solid-state avenue to exotic spin patterns via spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, but also inspire non-Hermitian dissipation engineering of spins in solids. (c) 2023 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science China Press. All rights reserved.