The dynamics described by the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian typically capture the short-term behavior of open quantum systems before quantum jumps occur. In contrast, the long-term dynamics, characterized by the Lindblad master equation, drive the system towards a nonequilibrium steady state (NESS), which is an eigenstate with zero energy of the Liouvillian superoperator, denoted as $\mathcal{L}$. Conventionally, these two types of evolutions exhibit distinct dynamical behaviors. However, in this study we challenge this common belief and demonstrate that the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian can accurately represent the long-term dynamics of a critical two-level open quantum system. The criticality of the system arises from the exceptional point of the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. Additionally, the NESS is identical to the coalescent state of the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. We apply this finding to a series of critical open quantum systems and show that a local dissipation channel can induce collective alignment of all spins in the same direction. This direction can be well controlled by modulating the quantum jump operator. The corresponding NESS is a product state and maintains long-time coherence, facilitating quantum control in open many-body systems. This discovery paves the way for a better understanding of the long-term dynamics of critical open quantum systems.

• Received 13 March 2024
• Accepted 16 May 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.184314