Investigation of the effect of quantum measurement on parity-time symmetry

Symmetry, including the parity-time (PT)-symmetry, is a striking topic, widely discussed and employed in many fields. It is well-known that quantum measurement can destroy or disturb quantum systems. However, can and how does quantum measurement destroy the symmetry of the measured system? To answer the pertinent question, we establish the correlation between the quantum measurement and Floquet PT-symmetry and investigate for the first time how the measurement frequency and measurement strength affect the PT-symmetry of the measured system using the 40Ca+ ion. It is already shown that the measurement at high frequencies would break the PT symmetry. Notably, even for an inadequately fast measurement frequency, if the measurement strength is sufficiently strong, the PT symmetry breaking can occur. The current work can enhance our knowledge of quantum measurement and symmetry and may inspire further research on the effect of quantum measurement on symmetry.