New perspective on chiral exceptional points with application to discrete photonics

Chiral exceptional points (CEPs) have been shown to emerge in traveling wave resonators via asymmetric back scattering from two or more nano-scatterers. Here, we provide a new perspective on the formation of CEPs based coupled oscillator model. Our approach provides an intuitive understanding for modal coalescence that signals emergence CEPs, and emphasizes role played by dissipation throughout this process. In doing so, our model also unveils otherwise unexplored connection between other types associated with parity-time symmetric photonic arrangements. addition, explains qualitative results observed recent experimental work involving CEPs. Importantly, tight-binding nature allows us extend notion CEP discrete photonics setups consist resonator waveguide arrays, thus opening avenues exploring exotic features conjunction interesting physical effects such as nonlinearities topological protections.