Non-Hermitian systems have recently attracted significant attention in photonics. One of the hallmarks of these systems is the possibility of realizing asymmetric mode-switching and omni-polarizer action through the dynamic encirclement of exceptional points (EPs). Here, we offer a new perspective on the operating principle of these devices, and we theoretically and experimentally show that linear asymmetric mode-switching and omni-polarizer action can be easily realized—with the same performance and limitations—using simple configurations that emulate the physics involved in encircling EPs without the complexity of actual encirclement schemes. The proposed concept of “encirclement emulators” and our theoretical and experimental results may allow better assessment of the limitations, practical potential, and applications of EP encirclements in non-Hermitian photonics.

中文翻译：

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使用不完美的（泄漏）光子组件模拟例外点包围：不对称模式切换和全偏振器作用

非赫米特系统最近在光子学中引起了极大的关注。这些系统的标志之一是可以通过动态包围特殊点（EP）来实现非对称模式切换和全偏振器动作。在这里，我们对这些器件的工作原理提供了新的视角，并且从理论上和实验上，我们都可以通过使用简单的配置来模拟线性不对称模式切换和全偏振器动作，并且具有相同的性能和局限性。包围EP的物理学，没有实际包围方案的复杂性。提出的“包围圈模拟器”概念以及我们的理论和实验结果可能会更好地评估局限性，实际潜力，