Third Order Modal Exceptional Degeneracy in Waveguides with Glide-Time Symmetry

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel third order exceptional degeneracy in waveguides with Glide-Time symmetry, enabling three modes to coalesce at a real wavenumber across a broad frequency range, with potential applications in various wave-based technologies.

Contribution

It proposes a new class of third order exceptional points in waveguides with Glide-Time symmetry, extending the concept beyond second order degeneracies.

Findings

Third order modal degeneracy with real wavenumber achieved

GT symmetry enables three modes to coalesce at a single frequency

Applicable across radio frequency to optical wavelengths

Abstract

The dispersion of a three-way waveguide is engineered to exhibit exceptional modal characteristics. Two coupled waveguides with Parity-Time (PT) symmetry have been previously demonstrated to exhibit second order exceptional points of degeneracy (EPDs). In this work, we introduce and investigate a particular class of EPDs, applicable from radio frequency to optical wavelengths, whereby three coupled waveguides satisfy Glide-Time (GT) symmetry to exhibit a third order modal degeneracy with a real-valued wavenumber. GT symmetry involves glide symmetry of lossless/gainless components of the waveguide in addition to changing the sign of passive/active elements while applying a glide symmetry operation. This GT-symmetry condition allows three Floquet-Bloch eigenmodes of the structure to coalesce to a real-valued wavenumber at a single frequency, in addition of having one branch of the dispersion diagram with a purely real wavenumber. The proposed scheme may have applications including but not limited to distributed amplifiers, radiating arrays, and sensors, from radio frequency to optics.