Parity-Time Symmetry in Non-Hermitian Complex Optical Media

TL;DR

This paper reviews the recent advances in non-Hermitian physics based on parity-time symmetry, highlighting its fundamental concepts, diverse applications, and emerging directions across optics, photonics, and other physical systems.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of PT symmetry in non-Hermitian systems, elucidating key concepts and exploring new research directions in various physical platforms.

Findings

PT symmetry enables novel optical effects

Applications in designing functional materials

Expanding research beyond optics and photonics

Abstract

The explorations of the quantum-inspired symmetries in optical and photonic systems have witnessed immense research interests both fundamentally and technologically in a wide range of subjects of physics and engineering. One of the principal emerging fields in this context is non-Hermitian physics based on parity-time symmetry, originally proposed in the studies pertaining to quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, recently ramified into diverse set of areas, particularly in optics and photonics. The intriguing physical effects enabled by non-Hermitian physics and PT symmetry have enhanced significant applications prospects and engineering of novel materials. In addition, it has observed increasing research interests in many emerging directions beyond optics and photonics. This Review paper attempts to bring together the state of the art developments in the field of complex non-Hermitian physics based on PT symmetry in various physical settings along with elucidating key concepts and background and a detailed perspective on new emerging directions. It can be anticipated that this trendy field of interest can be indispensable in providing new perspectives in maneuvering the flow of light in the diverse physical platforms in optics, photonics, condensed matter, opto-electronics and beyond, and offer distinctive applications prospects in novel functional materials.