Ermakov-Lewis symmetry in photonic lattices

We present a class of waveguide arrays that is the classical analog of a quantum harmonic oscillator, where the mass and frequency depend on the propagation distance. In these photonic lattices, refractive indices and second-neighbor couplings define the mass and frequency of the analog quantum oscillator, while first-neighbor couplings are a free parameter to adjust the model. The quantum model conserves the Ermakov-Lewis invariant, thus the photonic crystal also possesses this symmetry. (C) 2014 Optical Society of Americ