Spectral singularity in confined PT symmetric optical potential

Abstract

We present an analytical study for the scattering amplitudes (Reflection $|R|$ and Transmission $|T|$), of the periodic ${\cal{PT}}$ symmetric optical potential $ V(x) = \displaystyle W_0 \left( \cos ^2 x + i V_0 \sin 2x \right) $ confined within the region $0 \leq x \leq L$, embedded in a homogeneous medium having uniform potential $W_0$. The confining length $L$ is considered to be some integral multiple of the period $ \pi $. We give some new and interesting results. Scattering is observed to be normal ($|T| ^2 \leq 1, \ |R|^2 \leq 1$) for $V_0 \leq 0.5 $, when the above potential can be mapped to a Hermitian potential by a similarity transformation. Beyond this point ($ V_0 > 0.5 $) scattering is found to be anomalous ($|T| ^2, \ |R|^2 $ not necessarily $ \leq 1 $). Additionally, in this parameter regime of $V_0$, one observes infinite number of spectral singularities $E_{SS}$ at different values of $V_0$. Furthermore, for $L= 2 n \pi$, the transition point $V_0 = 0.5$ shows unidirectional invisibility with zero reflection when the beam is incident from the absorptive side ($Im [V(x)] < 0$) but finite reflection when the beam is incident from the emissive side ($Im [V(x)] > 0$), transmission being identically unity in both cases. Finally, the scattering coefficients $|R|^2$ and $|T|^2 $ always obey the generalized unitarity relation : $ ||T|^2 - 1| = \sqrt{|R_R|^2 |R_L|^2}$, where subscripts $R$ and $L$ stand for right and left incidence respectively.