Exceptional points in a passive strip waveguide

Exceptional points (EPs) in non-Hermitian systems have attracted significant interest due to their unique behaviors, including novel wave propagation and radiation. While EPs have been explored in various photonic systems, their integration into standard photonic platforms can expand their applicability to broader technological domains. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate EPs in an integrated photonic strip waveguide configuration, exhibiting unique deep wave penetration and uniform-intensity radiation profiles. By introducing the second-order grating on one side of the waveguide, forward and backward propagating modes are coupled both directly through second-order coupling and indirectly through first-order coupling via a radiative intermediate mode. To describe the EP behavior in a strip configuration, we introduce modified coupled-mode equations that account for both transverse and longitudinal components. These coupled-mode formulas reveal the formation of EPs in bandgap closure, achieved by numerically optimizing the grating’s duty cycle to manipulate the first- and second-order couplings simultaneously. Experimental observations, consistent with simulations, confirm the EP behavior, with symmetric transmission spectra and constant radiation profiles at the EP wavelength, in contrast to conventional exponential decay observed at detuned wavelengths. These results demonstrate the realization of EPs in a widely applicable strip waveguide configuration, paving the way for advanced EP applications in nonlinear and ultrafast photonics, as well as advanced sensing technologies.