Passive PT Symmetry in Organic Composite Films via Complex Refractive Index Modulation

Organic small molecules are proposed and demonstrated as a platform to realize arbitrary complex refractive index modulation and to explore passive parity-time (PT) symmetry breaking in a composite organic thin film. The strong optical response and synthetic freedom afforded by small molecules and polymers make this material class an exciting opportunity to realize new PT-based photonic functionality for devices throughout the visible and near-infrared spectrum.