Abstract

Multidimensional complex optical potentials with partial parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry are proposed. The usual $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry requires that the potential is invariant under complex conjugation and simultaneous reflection in all spatial directions. However, we show that if the potential is only partially $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetric, i.e., it is invariant under complex conjugation and reflection in a single spatial direction, then it can also possess all-real spectra and continuous families of solitons. These results are established analytically and corroborated numerically.

© 2014 Optical Society of America

Symmetry breaking of solitons in one-dimensional parity-time-symmetric optical potentials

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