Chapter 18
Purcell Effect in PT-Symmetric
Waveguides
Alina Karabchevsky, Andrey Novitsky, and Fyodor Morozko
Abstract This chapter overviews the principles of the spontaneous emission rate
increase, that is the Purcell effect, in relation to the photonic parity-time (PT) symmetry. Being focused on the system of coupled PT-symmetric optical waveguides, we
consider behaviors of the Purcell factor in PT-symmetric and broken-PT-symmetric
regimes. Surprisingly, exceptional points in a coupled waveguide do not influence
on the Purcell factor.
18.1 Introduction
By exploring the interplay between loss and gain as well as the coupling mechanism in waveguide-emitter systems, one can generate and control light on a chip.
This chapter introduces the underlying physics of Purcell effect for emitters in PTsymmetric waveguides. In general, physical world exhibits symmetries lying behind
the conservation laws of physics. They help to control the structure of matter and
define interactions. The laws of physics are required to be invariant under changes
of redundant degrees of freedom dictated by the symmetries. There are several fundamental symmetries including the charge conjunction or C symmetry for a particle
and its anti-particle, parity or P symmetry for a system and its mirror image and time
reversal or T symmetry for the time running forward and backward. Despite the fact
that the laws of physics are dictated by symmetries, it is the symmetry breaking that
A. Karabchevsky (B) · F. Morozko
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev,
8410501 Beer-Sheva, Israel
e-mail: alinak@bgu.ac.il
F. Morozko
e-mail: fyodormorozko95@gmail.com
A. Novitsky · F. Morozko
Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Belarusian State University,
Nezavisimosti Avenue 4, 220030 Minsk, Belarus
e-mail: andreyvnovitsky@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Kamenetskii (ed.), Chirality, Magnetism and Magnetoelectricity,
Topics in Applied Physics 138,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62844-4_18
493
Purcell Effect in PT-Symmetric
Waveguides
Alina Karabchevsky, Andrey Novitsky, and Fyodor Morozko
Abstract This chapter overviews the principles of the spontaneous emission rate
increase, that is the Purcell effect, in relation to the photonic parity-time (PT) symmetry. Being focused on the system of coupled PT-symmetric optical waveguides, we
consider behaviors of the Purcell factor in PT-symmetric and broken-PT-symmetric
regimes. Surprisingly, exceptional points in a coupled waveguide do not influence
on the Purcell factor.
18.1 Introduction
By exploring the interplay between loss and gain as well as the coupling mechanism in waveguide-emitter systems, one can generate and control light on a chip.
This chapter introduces the underlying physics of Purcell effect for emitters in PTsymmetric waveguides. In general, physical world exhibits symmetries lying behind
the conservation laws of physics. They help to control the structure of matter and
define interactions. The laws of physics are required to be invariant under changes
of redundant degrees of freedom dictated by the symmetries. There are several fundamental symmetries including the charge conjunction or C symmetry for a particle
and its anti-particle, parity or P symmetry for a system and its mirror image and time
reversal or T symmetry for the time running forward and backward. Despite the fact
that the laws of physics are dictated by symmetries, it is the symmetry breaking that
A. Karabchevsky (B) · F. Morozko
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev,
8410501 Beer-Sheva, Israel
e-mail: alinak@bgu.ac.il
F. Morozko
e-mail: fyodormorozko95@gmail.com
A. Novitsky · F. Morozko
Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Belarusian State University,
Nezavisimosti Avenue 4, 220030 Minsk, Belarus
e-mail: andreyvnovitsky@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Kamenetskii (ed.), Chirality, Magnetism and Magnetoelectricity,
Topics in Applied Physics 138,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62844-4_18
493