Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2025
10:35
Using Microwave and Macroscopic Samples of Dielectric Solids to Study the Photonic Properties of Disordered Photonic Bandgap Materials
Published on: September 26, 2014
12.4K
Experimental Implementation of Wave Propagation in Disordered Time-Varying Media
Benjamin Apffel1,2, Sander Wildeman1,2, Antonin Eddi2
1Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France.
Physical Review Letters
|March 18, 2022
Summary
We demonstrate a temporal analog of wave propagation in disordered systems using time-varying interfaces. Waves exhibit exponential growth and time-localized behavior, mirroring spatial disorder phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Wave phenomena
- Disordered systems
Background:
- Wave propagation in disordered media often exhibits unique phenomena like Anderson localization.
- Temporal disorder, where system properties change randomly in time, is less explored but theoretically predicted to show analogous effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally implement and study the temporal analog of wave propagation in disordered systems.
- To investigate wave field evolution and characteristics in a medium with randomly distributed temporal interfaces.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a spatially homogeneous medium with a time structure using electrostriction.
- Generating random temporal interfaces through controlled water-air-electrode interactions.
- Analyzing wave field evolution resulting from interference of reflected and refracted waves.
Main Results:
- Observed exponential wave growth dependent on disorder level, consistent with 2D matrix evolution models.
- Identified the crucial role of the momentum gap in time-modulated systems for wave field evolution.
- Observed transient, time-localized waves upon compensating for damping, arising from specific interference histories.
Conclusions:
- The temporal analog of disordered systems exhibits phenomena analogous to spatial disorder, including exponential wave growth.
- Temporal interfaces and their sequence critically influence wave dynamics and localization.
- This work provides experimental evidence for wave behavior in time-disordered media, opening avenues for future research.
Related Concept Videos
01:07Propagation of Waves
2.5K
When a wave propagates from one medium to another, part of it may get reflected in the first medium, and part of it may get transmitted to the second medium. In such a case, the interface of the two mediums can be considered as a boundary that is neither fixed nor free.
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...
2.5K
01:27Traveling Waves: Lossless Lines
210
The provided content explores the behavior of traveling waves on single-phase lossless transmission lines. It begins with a single-phase two-wire lossless transmission line of length Δx, characterized by a loop inductance LH/m and a line-to-line capacitance C F/m. These parameters result in a series inductance LΔx and a shunt capacitance CΔx.
210
00:51Velocity and Acceleration of a Wave
4.2K
A wave propagates through a medium with a constant speed, known as a wave velocity. It is different from the speed of the particles of the medium, which is not constant. In addition, the velocity of the medium is perpendicular to the velocity of the wave. The variable speed of the particles of the medium implies that there must be acceleration associated with it.
The velocity of the particles can be obtained by taking the partial derivative of the position equation with respect to time....
The velocity of the particles can be obtained by taking the partial derivative of the position equation with respect to time....
4.2K
01:09Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid
632
As with waves on a string, the speed of sound or a mechanical wave in a fluid depends on the fluid's elastic modulus and inertia. The two relevant physical quantities are the bulk modulus and the density of the material. Indeed, it turns out that the relationship between speed and the bulk modulus and density in fluids is the same as that between the speed and the Young's modulus and density in solids.
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave...
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave...
632
01:30Propagation Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
4.1K
Electromagnetic waves are consistent with Ampere's law. Assuming there is no conduction current Ampere's law is given as:
4.1K
01:07Interference and Superposition of Waves
5.6K
When two waves of the same nature occur in the same region simultaneously, they result in interference. Interference of waves implies that the net effect of the waves is the sum of the individual waves' effects. However, it does not imply that the individual waves affect the propagation of other waves.
Interference occurs in mechanical waves, such as sound waves, waves on a string, and surface water waves. Mechanical waves correspond to the physical displacement of particles. Hence,...
Interference occurs in mechanical waves, such as sound waves, waves on a string, and surface water waves. Mechanical waves correspond to the physical displacement of particles. Hence,...
5.6K