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Universal Optimal Transmission of Light Through Disordered Materials

I. M. Vellekoop and A. P. Mosk
Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 120601 – Published 15 September 2008
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Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate increased diffuse transmission of light through strongly scattering materials. Wave front shaping is used to selectively couple light to the open transport eigenchannels, specific solutions of Maxwell’s equations which the sample transmits fully, resulting in an increase of up to 44% in the total angle-integrated transmission compared to the case where plane waves are incident. The results for each of several hundreds of experimental runs are in excellent quantitative agreement with random matrix theory. From our measurements we conclude that with perfectly shaped wave fronts the transmission of a disordered sample tends to a universal value of 2/3, regardless of the thickness.

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  • Received 3 April 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.120601

©2008 American Physical Society

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Light finds a way through the maze

Published 15 September 2008

Thick layers of disordered materials, such as milk or snow, scatter light so that very little of it gets through. Theorists say that a properly designed combination of incident light waves would be almost completely transmitted and we now have experimental proof of this remarkable result.

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Authors & Affiliations

I. M. Vellekoop and A. P. Mosk

  • Complex Photonic Systems, Faculty of Science and Technology, and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands

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Issue

Vol. 101, Iss. 12 — 19 September 2008

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