Asymmetric localization induced by non-Hermitian perturbations with PT symmetry in photonic lattice

We study both theoretically and numerically the asymmetric localization of lightwave in a three-layered photonic lattice with non-Hermitian perturbations. The results indicate that the gauge potential for photons can arise from the non-Hermitian perturbations, once the perturbations satisfy parity-time symmetry. Further study shows that the Peierls phase between adjacent waveguides has an important impact on the shapes of the band structures, which result in asymmetric localization of a lightwave in such a system when the wave number and Peierls phase satisfy k=ϕ=±π/2. This Letter provides a new way to control the light transmission and a feasible method to realize gauge potential for photons.