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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Published on: February 4, 2017

Time-reversed lasing and interferometric control of absorption.

Wenjie Wan¹, Yidong Chong, Li Ge

¹Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|February 19, 2011

Summary

Scientists demonstrated a "coherent perfect absorber" that perfectly absorbs laser light using a loss medium. This breakthrough in optical physics shows tunable absorption, with applications in integrated optics.

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Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Quantum Optics

Background:

Laser emission relies on gain media for amplification.
Time-reversed processes offer novel physical phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate and characterize coherent perfect absorption in a resonant cavity.
To explore the modulation of scattering and absorption through optical field control.

Main Methods:

Utilized a silicon cavity with a loss medium.
Employed two counterpropagating incident coherent optical fields.
Varied the relative phase of incident fields.

Main Results:

Achieved perfect absorption of incident coherent optical fields, the time-reversal of laser emission.

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Last Updated: Jun 4, 2026

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Demonstrated modulation of scattering by two orders of magnitude.

Showed substantial reduction in absorption by adjusting the relative phase of incident fields.

Conclusions:

The coherent perfect absorber acts as an absorptive interferometer.
This device has potential applications in integrated optics and optical signal processing.