Constraining work fluctuations of non-Hermitian dynamics across the exceptional point of a superconducting qubit

Thermodynamics constrains changes to the energy of a system, both deliberate and random, via its first and second laws. When the system is not in equilibrium, fluctuation theorems such as the Jarzynski equality further restrict the distributions of deliberate work done. Such fluctuation theorems have been experimentally verified in small, non-equilibrium quantum systems undergoing unitary or decohering dynamics. Yet, their validity in systems governed by a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian has long been contentious, due to the false premise of the Hamiltonian’s dual and equivalent roles in dynamics and energetics. Here we show that work fluctuations in a non-Hermitian qubit obey the Jarzynski equality even if its Hamiltonian has complex or purely imaginary eigenvalues. With post-selection on a dissipative superconducting circuit undergoing a cyclic parameter sweep, we experimentally quantify the work distribution using projective energy measurements and show that the fate of the Jarzynski equality is determined by the parity-time symmetry of, and the energetics that result from, the corresponding non-Hermitian, Floquet Hamiltonian. By distinguishing the energetics from non-Hermitian dynamics, our results provide the recipe for investigating the non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics of such open systems.