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Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Determining 3D Flow Fields via Multi-camera Light Field Imaging
Published on: March 6, 2013
Observation of Two-Dimensional Branched Flow of Light
Yan Liu1, Ke Lin1,2, Zhaoyu Liu1,2
1Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai 200240, China.
None:
We present an experimental study on light propagation within a bulk material, wherein a controlled, weakly disordered, three-dimensional spatial fluctuation of the refractive index is induced. We find that the random, varying potential splits a broad wave into a stable, two-dimensional (2D) caustic network, which persists over extended evolution distance. This network remains stable until 2D branched light flow emerges from the interconnection spots of the network. We thus demonstrate the first-ever observation of the stable two-dimensional branched flow of light and experimentally identify the fundamental length scale at which the two-dimensional branching initiates, as well as its power-law dependence on the correlation length and the strength of the random potential.
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