Spatio-temporal visualization of light transport in complex photonic structures.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and light-matter interactions.
• Condensed matter physics.
• Advanced optical imaging techniques.

Background:

• Spatio-temporal imaging of light propagation is crucial for understanding light-environment interactions.
• Disordered and heterogeneous structures exhibit complex transport physics requiring high time resolution (sub-picosecond).
• Characterizing light transport in thin, nearly transparent membranes remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a spatio-temporal study of light transport in various disordered media using a novel wide-field imaging system.
• To investigate light transport phenomena in challenging configurations, such as thin scattering membranes.
• To reveal transport physics beyond conventional diffusion models in complex media.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new wide-field imaging system with sub-picosecond time resolution.
• Spatio-temporal imaging of light propagation through diverse disordered and heterogeneous materials.
• Application of the system to characterize light transport in nearly transparent membranes.

Main Results:

• The new system successfully imaged spatio-temporal light transport in disordered media.
• Unique transport properties were observed in thin scattering membranes, previously difficult to assess.
• Observed phenomena in thin membranes deviate from standard diffusion modeling despite multiple scattering.

Conclusions:

• The developed wide-field imaging system provides unprecedented insights into light transport in complex media.
• Thin scattering systems exhibit novel transport physics not captured by current diffusion theories.
• This work opens new avenues for exploring light-matter interactions in previously inaccessible material configurations.