Diffraction control in PT-symmetric photonic lattices: from beam rectification to dynamic localization

Abstract

We address the propagation of light beams in longitudinally modulated PT-symmetric lattices, built as arrays of couplers with periodically varying separation between their channels, and show a number of possibilities for efficient diffraction control available in such non-conservative structures. The dynamics of light in such lattices crucially depends on the ratio of the switching length for the straight segments of each coupler and the longitudinal lattice period. Depending on the longitudinal period, one can achieve either beam rectification, when the input light propagates at a fixed angle across the structure without diffractive broadening, or dynamic localization, when the initial intensity distribution is periodically restored after each longitudinal period. Importantly, the transition between these two different propagation regimes can be achieved by tuning only gain and losses acting in the system, provided that the PT-symmetry remains unbroken. The impact of Kerr nonlinearity is also discussed.

6 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Physical Review A

References in corpus (7)

• Physical realization of $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric potential scattering in a planar slab waveguide
• Optical mesh lattices with PT-symmetry
• Impact of loss on the wave dynamics in photonic waveguide lattices
• Optical ratchets with discrete cavity solitons
• PT-symmetric coupler with a coupling defect: soliton interaction with exceptional point
• Resonant mode conversion in the waveguides with an unbroken and broken PT-symmetry
• Stochastic $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric coupler

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Nonlinear waves in $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric systems
• Non-diffracting states in one-dimensional Floquet photonic topological insulators
• $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$ phase control in circular multicore fibers
• Revisiting the optical $PT$-symmetric dimer
• Edge states in dynamical superlattices
• PT-symmetry in nonlinear twisted multi-core fibers
• Bound states in the continuum in a two-dimensional PT-symmetric system
• Edge and bulk dissipative solitons in modulated PT-symmetric waveguide arrays
• Dynamic localization in optical and Zeeman lattices in the presence of spin-orbit coupling
• Super Bloch Oscillation in a PT symmetric system
• Dissipation engineered directional filter for quantum ratchets
• Relativistic Zitterbewegung in non-Hermitian photonic waveguide systems