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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Differential Imaging of Biological Structures with Doubly-resonant Coherent Anti-stokes Raman Scattering (CARS)

Differential Imaging of Biological Structures with Doubly-resonant Coherent Anti-stokes Raman Scattering (CARS)

Published on: October 17, 2010

Coherent perfect absorbers: time-reversed lasers.

Y D Chong¹, Li Ge, Hui Cao

¹Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. yidong.chong@yale.edu

Physical Review Letters

|September 28, 2010

Summary

Researchers demonstrate how to make materials perfectly absorbing at specific light frequencies by adding controlled dissipation. This phenomenon, the time-reversed process of lasing, has potential applications in optical detectors and switches.

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Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Materials Science
Quantum Mechanics

Background:

Materials typically reflect or transmit light, with absorption being a loss mechanism.
Controlling light absorption precisely is crucial for advanced optical devices.
Lasing at threshold involves stimulated emission and constructive interference.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate a method for achieving perfect absorption in arbitrary bodies.
To investigate the underlying physics of coherent perfect absorption.
To explore potential applications of this phenomenon in optical technologies.

Main Methods:

Introducing a precise amount of dissipation into a material.
Illuminating the material with coherent monochromatic light.

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Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

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Utilizing a simple silicon (Si) slab geometry for experimental demonstration.

Analyzing the effect through the S matrix and wave vector properties.

Main Results:

Achieved perfect absorption at discrete frequencies in a Si slab.
Demonstrated that the effect arises from the interplay of optical absorption and wave interference.
Showed this phenomenon is the time-reversed analog of lasing at threshold.

Conclusions:

Coherent perfect absorbers can be engineered by combining absorption and interference.
These absorbers function as linear, absorptive interferometers.
Potential applications include highly sensitive optical detectors, transducers, and switches.