Nonreciprocal Quantum Mpemba Effect
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Abstract
We demonstrate a nonreciprocal quantum Mpemba effect. Consider a broad class of open quantum systems, each coupled to two isomorphic reservoirs through symmetric ports. Interchanging the parameters of the two reservoirs -- a discrete operation we call the swap -- turns the quantum Mpemba effect on or off without changing the initial states. The swap modifies the Liouvillian, yet a structural symmetry pins the eigenvalues while rotating only the eigenvectors. The nonreciprocity therefore leaves no trace in the spectrum and is carried entirely by the eigenvectors. Concretely, the swap alters the far state's projection onto the slowest mode, switching whether it bypasses the slowest relaxation channel. At a Liouvillian exceptional point, the far state's relaxation switches from bypassing the slowest mode to avoiding the critical slowing, with the on--off contrast intact. There the spectrum-independent mechanism takes its purest form.