Parity-time symmetric coupled microresonators with a dispersive gain/loss

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Quantum physics
• Optical resonators

Background:

• Parity-Time (PT) symmetry offers unique properties for optical systems.
• Whispering gallery resonators are sensitive to material and gain/loss characteristics.
• Understanding PT-symmetric systems is crucial for advanced optical device design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavior of PT-symmetric whispering gallery resonators under realistic conditions.
• To analyze the effects of material dispersion and gain/loss profiles on PT symmetry.
• To explore practical scenarios including frequency misalignment and gain/loss imbalance.

Main Methods:

• Coupling of PT-symmetric whispering gallery resonators.
• Modeling realistic material properties and gain/loss distributions.
• Analyzing system response under varying dispersion and frequency conditions.

Main Results:

• Material and gain dispersion introduce skewness in frequency bifurcation.
• Frequency misalignment significantly reduces the PT symmetry breaking point.
• An unbalanced gain/loss profile can lead to early PT-breaking and lasing.

Conclusions:

• Realistic modeling is essential for understanding PT-symmetric resonator performance.
• Dispersion and frequency detuning are critical factors limiting PT symmetry.
• Exploiting early PT-breaking offers potential for novel lasing operations.