Invisibility and PT-symmetry

Abstract

For a general complex scattering potential defined on a real line, we show that the equations governing invisibility of the potential are invariant under the combined action of parity and time-reversal (PT) transformation. We determine the PT-symmetric an well as non-PT-symmetric invisible configurations of an easily realizable exactly solvable model that consists of a two-layer planar slab consisting of optically active material. Our analysis shows that although PT-symmetry is neither necessary nor sufficient for the invisibility of a scattering potential, it plays an important role in the characterization of the invisible configurations. A byproduct of our investigation is the discovery of certain configurations of our model that are effectively reflectionless in a spectral range as wide as several hundred nanometers.

11 pages, 3 figures, revised version, accepted for publication in Phys.Rev. A

References in corpus (4)

• Coherent Perfect Absorbers: Time-reversed Lasers
• PT-symmetry breaking and laser-absorber modes in optical scattering systems
• Geometric Phase for Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians and Its Holonomy Interpretation
• A note on the PT-invariant periodic potential V(x)=4 cos^2 x + 4 i V_0 sin 2x

Cited by in corpus (21)

• Nonlinear localized modes in PT-symmetric Rosen-Morse potential well
• Floquet exceptional points and chirality in non-Hermitian Hamiltonians
• Unidirectional reflectionlessness and invisibility in the TE and TM modes of a PT-symmetric slab system
• Generalized Unitarity and Reciprocity Relations for PT-symmetric Scattering Potentials
• Lasing Threshold Condition for Oblique TE and TM Modes, Spectral Singularities, and Coherent Perfect Absorption
• Confluent Crum-Darboux transformations in Dirac Hamiltonians with $PT$-symmetric Bragg gratings
• Unidirectional Invisibility and PT-Symmetry with Graphene
• Fano-Feshbach resonances in two-channel scattering around exceptional points
• Emitter and absorber assembly for multiple self-dual operation and directional transparency
• $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-Symmetric Coherent Perfect Absorber with Graphene
• A class of invisible inhomogeneous media and the control of electromagnetic waves
• PT-symmetric optical superlattices
• A Class of Exactly Solvable Scattering Potentials in Two Dimensions, Entangled State Pair Generation, and a Grazing Angle Resonance Effect
• Critical coupling and coherent perfect absorption for ranges of energies due to a complex gain and loss symmetric system
• Structure and Symmetry in Coherent Perfect Polarization Rotation
• Broadband and Wide-Angle Invisibility with PT-Symmetric 2D-Weyl Semimetal
• Unidirectional Reflection and Invisibility in Nonlinear Media with an Incoherent Nonlinearity
• Dynamics of mode entanglement in a system of cavities coupled with a chiral mirror
• $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric tight-binding model with asymmetric couplings
• Generalized Parity-Time Symmetry Condition for Enhanced Sensor Telemetry
• Invisibility and PT Symmetry: A Simple Geometrical Viewpoint