Modular non-Hermitian topology and its application to critical sensing

Abstract Non-Hermitian topological systems have attracted a lot of research activities in recent times, both theoretically and experimentally, due to their unique physical properties and association with open quantum systems. We show that modular structures, where specific couplings at regular intervals take distinct values, enrich the unique topological attributes of these systems such as the non-Hermitian skin effect and the breakdown of conventional bulk-boundary correspondence. These systems also possess the capability of displaying criticality-enhanced sensitivity for precision metrology. We establish how the modular structure, in suitable parameter regime, enhances their sensing performance near spectral topological phase transitions and show that the enhancement can be achieved in multi-parameter estimation scenarios as well.