  Topological winding in non-Hermitian systems are generally associated to the
Bloch band properties of lattice Hamiltonians. However, in certain
non-Hermitian models topological winding naturally arise from the dynamical
evolution of the system and related to a new form of geometric phase. Here we
investigate dynamical topological winding in non-Hermitian photonic mesh
lattices, where the mean survival time of an optical pulse circulating in
coupled fiber loops is quantized and robust against Hamiltonian deformations.
The suggested photonic model could provide an experimentally accessible
platform for the observation of non-Hermitian dynamical topological windings.
