Dynamics of Airy beams in parity–time symmetric optical lattices

We investigate the dynamics of airy beams propagating in the parity–time (PT) symmetric optical lattices in linear and nonlinear regimes, respectively. For the linear propagation, the position of the channel guided by the PT lattice can be shifted by tuning the lattice frequency. The underlying physical mechanism of this phenomenon is also discussed. An interesting phenomenon is found in the nonlinear regime in that the airy beam becomes a tilt channel with several Rayleigh lengths. These findings create new opportunities for optical steering and manipulations. (paper)