Gilmore-Perelomov symmetry based approach to photonic lattices

Abstract

We revisit electromagnetic field propagation through tight-binding arrays of coupled photonic waveguides, with properties independent of the propagation distance, and recast it as a symmetry problem. We focus our analysis on photonic lattices with underlying symmetries given by three well-known groups, $SU(2)$, $SU(1,1)$ and Heisenberg-Weyl, to show that disperssion relations, normal states and impulse functions can be constructed following a Gilmore-Perelomov coherent state approach. Furthermore, this symmetry based approach can be followed for each an every lattice with an underlying symmetry given by a dynamical group.