We introduce a one-dimensional parity-time- ($\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-)symmetric nonlinear magnetic metamaterial consisting of split-ring dimers having both gain and loss. When nonlinearity is absent we find a transition between an exact to a broken $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$ phase; in the former, the system features a two band gapped spectrum with shape determined by the gain and loss coefficients as well as the interunit coupling. In the presence of nonlinearity, we show numerically that as a result of the gain and dissipation matching a novel type of long-lived stable discrete breathers can form below the lower branch of the band with no attenuation. In these localized modes the energy is almost equally partitioned between two adjacent split rings on the one with gain and the other one with loss.

• Received 8 October 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.053901