Spatial confinement of laser light in active random media

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Optics
• Photonics

Background:

• Disordered media can exhibit unique light-scattering properties.
• Understanding light propagation in random systems is crucial for developing advanced optical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate spatial confinement of laser light in micrometer-sized random media.
• To explore the role of disorder-induced scattering and interference in optical confinement.
• To examine the effect of coherent amplification on light confinement.

Main Methods:

• Experimental observation of spatial confinement in random media.
• Analysis of disorder-induced scattering and interference effects.
• Simulation of lasing with coherent feedback using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method.

Main Results:

• Spatial confinement of laser light was successfully observed in micrometer-sized random media.
• Disorder-induced scattering and interference were identified as key mechanisms for optical confinement.
• Coherent amplification of scattered light was found to enhance interference and facilitate spatial confinement.

Conclusions:

• Coherent amplification plays a significant role in enhancing interference effects for spatial light confinement in random media.
• The findings provide insights into light localization phenomena in disordered active systems.
• Simulations support the experimental observations of lasing with coherent feedback in active random media.