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Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research

PT symmetry in coherent atomic media

Jiteng Sheng, Mohammad‐Ali Miri, Demetrios N. Christodoulides, Min Xiao

Published Jan 1, 2013• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate that four-level atomic media provide a versatile platform for realizing parity-time (PT) symmetric optical potentials. The peculiar propagation dynamics emerging from such arrangements are examined both below and above the PT threshold.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_qels.2013.qtu1e.5

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We propose that a coherently prepared four-level atomic medium can provide a versatile platform for realizing parity-time (PT\mathcal{PT}PT) symmetric optical potentials. Different types of PT\mathcal{PT}PT-symmetric potentials are proposed by appropriately tuning the exciting optical fields and the pertinent atomic parameters. Such reconfigurable and controllable systems may open up new avenues in observing PT\mathcal{PT}PT-related phenomena with appreciable gain-loss contrast in coherent atomic media.
Inspired by the discovery of real energy spectra of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians obeying parity-time (PT) symmetry, many proposals and relevant experiments have been suggested and implemented for the realization of PT-symmetric Hamiltonians in various physical systems. Among them PT-symmetric atomic gases are of great interest as they possess many unique advantages, including: (i) the possession of active PT symmetry with balanced optical gain and loss, (ii) the ability to be extended to high-dimensional ones, and (iii) the feasibility to acquire enhanced Kerr nonlinearity based on the resonance character between light and atoms. Here, we review the new progresses made on the study of PT symmetry in coherent atomic gases since our last review paper [Advances in Physics: X, 2, 737–783 (2017)]. Particularly, we focus on the newly emerged research topics in this direction, including nonlocal nonlinear effect, non-Hermitian quantum effect, exceptional point and associated phenomenon, and non-Hermitian skin effect with PT symmetry. Perspectives and potential applications of the subject are also discussed.
Abstract A wide class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians can possess entirely real eigenvalues when they have parity-time (PT) symmetric potentials. Recently, this family of non-Hermitian systems has attracted considerable attention in diverse areas of physics due to their extraordinary properties, especially in optical systems based on solid-state materials, such as coupled gain–loss waveguides and microcavities. Considering the desired refractive index can be effectively manipulated through atomic coherence, it is important to realize such non-Hermitian optical potentials and further investigate their distinct properties in atomic systems. In this paper, we review the recent theoretical and experimental progress of non-Hermitian optics with coherently prepared multi-level atomic configurations. The realizations of (anti-) PT symmetry with different schemes have extensively demonstrated the special optical properties of non-Hermitian optical systems with atomic coherence.
We propose a scheme to realize parity-time (PT) symmetry via electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The system we consider is an ensemble of cold four-level atoms with an EIT core. We show that the cross-phase modulation contributed by an assisted field, the optical lattice potential provided by a far-detuned laser field, and the optical gain resulted from an incoherent pumping can be used to construct a PT-symmetric complex optical potential for probe field propagation in a controllable way. Comparing with previous study, the present scheme uses only a single atomic species and hence is easy for the physical realization of PT-symmetric Hamiltonian via atomic coherence.