Probability Conservation and Localization in a One-Dimensional Non-Hermitian System

We consider transport through a non-Hermitian conductor connected to a pair of Hermitian leads and analyze the underlying non-Hermitian scattering problem. In a typical non-Hermitian system, such as a Hatano–Nelson-type asymmetric hopping model, the continuity of probability and probability current is broken at a local level. As a result, the notion of transmission and reflection probabilities becomes ill-defined. Instead of these probabilities, we introduce the injection rate \(R_{\text{I}} = 1 - |\mathcal{R}|^{2}\) and the transmission rate \(R_{\text{T}} = |\mathcal{T}|^{2}\) as relevant physical quantities, where \(\mathcal{T}\) and \(\mathcal{R}\) are the transmission and reflection amplitudes, respectively. In a generic non-Hermitian case, RI and RT have independent information. We provide a modified continuity equation in terms of incoming and outgoing currents, from which we derive a global probability conservation law that relates RI and RT. We have tested the usefulness of our probability conservation law in the interpretation of numerical results for non-Hermitian localization and delocalization phenomena.