Fragile PT-symmetry in a solvable model

One of the simplest pseudo-Hermitian models with real spectrum (viz., square-well on a real interval I of coordinates) is re-examined. A PT-symmetric complex deformation C of I is introduced and shown tractable via an innovated approach to matching conditions. The result is surprising: An arbitrarily small deformation I-->C implies a sudden collapse (i.e., the spontaneous PT-symmetry breaking) of virtually all the spectrum (i.e., up to its low-energy part). (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.