PT symmetry was introduced to Quantum Theory by Bender; there’s a nice survey by him Introduction to PT symmetric Quantum Theory on the arXiv, and a short expository paper PT symmetry in quantum physics: from a mathematical curiuosity to optical experiments in Europhysics News. Here’s an extended quote from the survey:

The central idea of $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric quantum theory is to replace the condition that the Hamiltonian of a quantum theory be Hermitian with the weaker condition that it possess space-time reflection symmetry ($\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry).

$\ldots$

Two important discrete symmetry operators are parity (space reflection), which is represented by the symbol $\mathcal{P}$, and time reversal, which is represented by the symbol $\mathcal{T}$. The operators $\mathcal{P}$ and $\mathcal{T}$ are defined by their effects on the dynamical variables $\hat x$ (the position operator) and $\hat p$ (the momentum operator). The operator $\mathcal{P}$ is linear and has the effect of changing the sign of the momentum operator $\hat p$ and the position operator $\hat x$: ${\hat p}\to-{\hat p}$ and ${\hat x}\to-{\hat x}$. The operator $\mathcal{T}$ is antilinear and has the effect ${\hat p}\to-{\hat p}$, ${\hat x}\to{\hat x}$, and $i\to-i$.

$\ldots$

We describe here an alternative way to construct complex Hamiltonians that still guarantees the reality of the eigenvalues and the unitarity of time evolution and which also includes real, symmetric Hamiltonians as a special case. We will maintain the symmetry of the Hamiltonians in coordinate space, but we will allow the matrix elements to become complex in such a way that the condition of space-time reflection symmetry ($\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry) is preserved. The new kinds of Hamiltonians discussed in this paper are symmetric and have the property that they commute with the $\mathcal{PT}$ operator: $[H,\mathcal{PT}]=0$. In analogy with the property of Hermiticity $H=H^\dagger$, we will express the property that a Hamiltonian is $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetric by using the notation $H=H^ \mathcal{PT}$. We emphasize that our new kinds of complex Hamiltonians are symmetric in coordinate space but are not Hermitian in the Dirac sense. To reiterate, acceptable complex Hamiltonians may be either Hermitian $H=H^\dagger$ or $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric $H=H^\mathcal{PT}$, but not both. Real symmetric Hamiltonians may be both Hermitian and $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric.

PT symmetry was introduced to Quantum Theory by Bender; there’s a nice survey by him Introduction to PT symmetric Quantum Theory on the arXiv, and a short expository paper PT symmetry in quantum physics: from a mathematical curiousity to optical experiments in Europhysics News. Here’s an extended quote from the survey:

The central idea of $PT$-symmetric quantum theory is to replace the condition that the Hamiltonian of a quantum theory be Hermitian with the weaker condition that it possess space-time reflection symmetry ($PT$ symmetry).

$\ldots$

Two important discrete symmetry operators are parity (space reflection), which is represented by the symbol $P$, and time reversal, which is represented by the symbol $T$. The operators $P$ and $T$ are defined by their effects on the dynamical variables $\hat x$ (the position operator) and $\hat p$ (the momentum operator). The operator $P$ is linear and has the effect of changing the sign of the momentum operator $\hat p$ and the position operator $\hat x$: ${\hat p}\to-{\hat p}$ and ${\hat x}\to-{\hat x}$. The operator $T$ is antilinear and has the effect ${\hat p}\to-{\hat p}$, ${\hat x}\to{\hat x}$, and $i\to-i$.

$\ldots$

We describe here an alternative way to construct complex Hamiltonians that still guarantees the reality of the eigenvalues and the unitarity of time evolution and which also includes real, symmetric Hamiltonians as a special case. We will maintain the symmetry of the Hamiltonians in coordinate space, but we will allow the matrix elements to become complex in such a way that the condition of space-time reflection symmetry ($PT$ symmetry) is preserved. The new kinds of Hamiltonians discussed in this paper are symmetric and have the property that they commute with the $PT$ operator: $[H,PT]=0$. In analogy with the property of Hermiticity $H=H^\dagger$, we will express the property that a Hamiltonian is $PT$ symmetric by using the notation $H=H^ PT$. We emphasize that our new kinds of complex Hamiltonians are symmetric in coordinate space but are not Hermitian in the Dirac sense. To reiterate, acceptable complex Hamiltonians may be either Hermitian $H=H^\dagger$ or $PT$-symmetric $H=H^PT$, but not both. Real symmetric Hamiltonians may be both Hermitian and $PT$-symmetric.

Recently there have been articles in Quanta, in Science Alert, and at phys.org among others, on possible recent progress toward the Hilbert-Polya conjecture, which implies the Riemann Hypothesis. The flurry is over the paper Hamiltonian for the zeros of the Riemann zeta function by Bender et. al. in Physical Review Letters. The new idea is to look for a Hamiltonian which is not Hermitian, but rather PT-symmetric.

Recently there have been articles in Quanta, in Science Alert, and at phys.org among others, on possible recent progress toward the Hilbert-Polya conjecture, which implies the Riemann Hypothesis. The flurry is over the paper Hamiltonian for the zeros of the Riemann zeta function by Bender, Brody, and Müller in Physical Review Letters. The new idea is to look for a Hamiltonian which is not Hermitian, but rather PT-symmetric.