Parity-time symmetry in coherently coupled vertical cavity laser arrays

We report parity-time (PT) symmetry breaking in electrically injected, coherently coupled, vertical cavity surface emitting laser arrays. We predict beam steering, mode evolution and mode hopping as a consequence of the non-Hermiticity of the array analyzed by temporal coupled mode theory with both asymmetric gain distribution and local frequency detuning. We present experimental confirmation of the predicted mode evolution, mode hopping and PT symmetry breaking with quantitative agreement with the theory.