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Register a new userDemonstration of a two-dimensional PT-symmetric crystal: Bulk dynamics, topology, and edge states
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In 1998, Carl Bender challenged the perceived wisdom of quantum mechanics that the Hamiltonian operator describing any quantum mechanical system has to be Hermitian. He showed that Hamiltonians that are invariant under combined parity-time (PT) symmetry transformations likewise can exhibit real eigenvalue spectra. These findings had a particularly profound impact in the field of photonics, where PT-symmetric potential landscapes can be implemented by appropriately distributing gain and loss. Following this approach, several hallmark features of PT symmetry were shown, such as the existence of non-orthogonal eigenmodes, non-reciprocal light evolution, diffusive coherent transport, and to study their implications in settings including PT-symmetric lasers and topological phase transitions. Similarly, PT-symmetry has enriched other research fields ranging from PT-symmetric atomic diffusion, superconducting wires, and PT-symmetric electronic circuits. Nevertheless, to this date, all experimental implementations of PT-symmetric systems have been restricted to one dimension, which is mostly due to limitations in the technologies at hand for realizing appropriate non-Hermitian potential landscapes. In this work, we report on the experimental realization and characterization of a two-dimensional PT-symmetric system by means of photonic waveguide lattices with judiciously designed refractive index landscape with alternating loss. A key result of our work is the demonstration of a non-Hermitian two-dimensional topological phase transition that coincides with the emergence of mid-gap edge states. Our findings pave the grounds for future investigations exploring the full potential of PT-symmetric photonics in higher dimensions. Moreover, our approach may even hold the key for realizing two-dimensional PT-symmetry also in other systems beyond photonics, such as matter waves and electronics.
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We study corner states on a flat band in the square lattice. To this end, we introduce a two dimensional model including Su-Schrieffer-Heeger type bond alternation responsible for corner states as well as next-nearest neighbor hoppings yielding flat bands. The key symmetry of the model for corner states is space-time inversion ($cal PT$) symmetry, which guarantees quantized Berry phases. This implies that edge states as well as corner states would show up if boundaries are introduced to the system. We also argue that an infinitesimal $cal PT$ symmetry-breaking perturbation could drive flat bands into flat Chern bands.
Recently, the coexistence of parity-time (PT) symmetric laser and absorber has gained tremendous research attention. While the PT symmetric absorber has been observed in microwave metamaterials, the experimental demonstration of PT symmetric laser is still absent. Here we experimentally study PT-symmetric laser absorber in stripe waveguide. Using the concept of PT symmetry to exploit the light amplification and absorption, PT-symmetric laser absorbers have been successfully obtained. Different from the single-mode PT symmetric lasers, the PT-symmetric stripe lasers have been experimentally confirmed by comparing the relative wavelength positions and mode spacing under different pumping conditions. When the waveguide is half pumped, the mode spacing is doubled and the lasing wavelengths shift to the center of every two initial lasing modes. All these observations are consistent with the theoretical predictions and confirm the PT-symmetry breaking well.
Exceptional points in non-Hermitian systems have recently been shown to possess nontrivial topological properties, and to give rise to many exotic physical phenomena. However, most studies thus far have focused on isolated exceptional points or one-dimensional lines of exceptional points. Here, we substantially expand the space of exceptional systems by designing two-dimensional surfaces of exceptional points, and find that symmetries are a key element to protect such exceptional surfaces. We construct them using symmetry-preserving non-Hermitian deformations of topological nodal lines, and analyze the associated symmetry, topology, and physical consequences. As a potential realization, we simulate a parity-time-symmetric 3D photonic crystal and indeed find the emergence of exceptional surfaces. Our work paves the way for future explorations of systems of exceptional points in higher dimensions.
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Unidirectional reflectionless propagation (or transmission) is an interesting wave phenomenon observed in many $mathcal{PT}$-symmetric optical structures. Theoretical studies on unidirectional reflectionless transmission often use simple coupled-mode models. The coupled-mode theory can reveal the most important physical mechanism for this wave phenomenon, but it is only an approximate theory, and it does not provide accurate quantitative predictions with respect to geometric and material parameters of the structure. In this paper, we rigorously study unidirectional reflectionless transmission for two-dimensional (2D) $mathcal{PT}$-symmetric periodic structures sandwiched between two homogeneous media. Using a scattering matrix formalism and a perturbation method, we show that real zero-reflection frequencies are robust under $mathcal{PT}$-symmetric perturbations, and unidirectional reflectionless transmission is guaranteed to occur if the perturbation (of the dielectric function) satisfies a simple condition. Numerical examples are presented to validate the analytical results, and to demonstrate unidirectional invisibility by tuning the amplitude of balanced gain and loss.
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