Observation of PT-Symmetry Breaking in Complex Optical Potentials
Abstract
In 1998, Bender and Boettcher found that a wide class of Hamiltonians, even though non-Hermitian, can still exhibit entirely real spectra provided that they obey parity-time requirements or PT symmetry. Here we demonstrate experimentally passive PT-symmetry breaking within the realm of optics. This phase transition leads to a loss induced optical transparency in specially designed pseudo-Hermitian guiding potentials.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- August 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.093902
- Bibcode:
- 2009PhRvL.103i3902G
- Keywords:
-
- 42.25.Bs;
- 11.30.Er;
- 42.82.Et;
- Wave propagation transmission and absorption;
- Charge conjugation parity time reversal and other discrete symmetries;
- Waveguides couplers and arrays