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I couldn't find such a system but I have also not been able to prove otherwise.

Firstly, I don't know exactly how to take the inverse Z-Transform of $z^*$.

Secondly, I don't know the ROC associated with it so there has to be more than one discrete-time function that has the Z-Transform, $z^*$.

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You are correct, there is no such stable LTI system which has an impulse response with $\mathrm{Z}$-Transform = $z^*$.

Proof by contradiction:

Assume that there is an LTI system which is BIBO stable and has the transfer function: $H(z) = z^*$.

Since $H(z)$ is stable, $|z|=1$ is inside its ROC. Therefore taking $z=e^{j\omega}$,

\begin{align*} H(e^{j\omega}) & = (e^{j\omega})^* = e^{-j\omega}\\ H(e^{j\omega}) & = \text{DTFT} \{h[n]\} \end{align*}

The $\text{IDTFT}\{e^{-j\omega}\} = \delta[n-1]$.

Then $H(z) = \sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty} h[n]z^{-n} = \delta[n-1]z^{-n} = z^{-1}$

But $z^{-1} \neq z^{*}$. This is a contradiction!

Therefore, there is no stable LTI system whose transfer function is $z^{*}$.

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  • $\begingroup$ //"But $z^{-1} \neq z^{*}$. This is a contradiction!"// - - - - - - - How is that the case? $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 18:56
  • $\begingroup$ @robertbristow-johnson Write $z$ in polar form: $$z= re^{j\omega}$$ then $$z^{-1}=\frac 1z = \frac 1r e^{-j\omega}$$ The case when $r=1$ is a special case for which the equality holds. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 20:45
  • $\begingroup$ And that's the answer to my question. I would say it as: But $z^{-1} \neq z^{*}$ for $|z| \ne 1$. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 8, 2023 at 2:12
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Note that the transfer function of a system with impulse response $h[n]$ is defined by

$$H(z)=\sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty}h[n]z^{-n}\tag{1}$$

Eq. $(1)$ is also called the $\mathcal{Z}$-transform of $h[n]$.

If you look at $(1)$, it should be clear that there's no way you could ever create a transfer function $H(z)=z^*$. Stability is totally unrelated. There exists neither a stable nor an unstable system with transfer function $H(z)=z^*$.

In more mathematical terms, $H(z)=z^*$ is not an analytic function, and hence it can't be the $\mathcal{Z}$-transform of any sequence. Similarly, the functions $H(z)=|z|$ or $H(z)=\textrm{Re}\{z\}$ are no valid transfer functions because they are not analytic.

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  • $\begingroup$ //" If you look at $(1)$, it should be clear that there's no way you could ever create a transfer function $H(z)=z^*$. "// - - - - - - Well, it looks like one can where, on the z-plane $|z|=1$. But I don't think the ROC remains inside the unit circle. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 19:00
  • $\begingroup$ @robertbristow-johnson: But what choice of coefficients $h[n]$ in (1) could ever result in $H(z)=z^*$? $\endgroup$
    – Matt L.
    Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 19:21
  • $\begingroup$ Matt L it would only match on the unit circle. $h[n]=\delta[n-1]$. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 8, 2023 at 2:09

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