PT-symmetry entails pseudo-Hermiticity regardless of diagonalizability

We prove that in finite dimensions, a Parity-Time (PT)-symmetric Hamiltonian is necessarily pseudo-Hermitian regardless of whether it is diagonalizable or not. This result is different from Mostafazadeh’s result [J. Math. Phys. 43, 205−214 (2002)], which requires the Hamiltonian to be diagonalizable. PT-symmetry breaking often occurs at exceptional points where the Hamiltonian is not diagonalizable. Our result implies that PT-symmetry breaking is equivalent to the onset of instabilities of pseudo-Hermitian systems, which was systematically studied by Krein et al. [Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR N.S. 73, 445 (1950)]. In particular, we show that the mechanism of PT-symmetry breaking is the resonance between two eigenmodes with opposite signs of actions.