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Control of Mesoscopic Transport by Modifying Transmission Channels in Opaque Media
Physical review B: Condensed matter and materials physics
  • Raktim Sarma
  • Alexey Yamilov, Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Seng Fatt Liew
  • Mikhael Guy
  • Hui Cao
Abstract

While controlling particle diffusion in a confined geometry is a popular approach taken by both natural and artificial systems, it has not been widely adopted for controlling light transport in random media, where wave interference effects play a critical role. The transmission eigenchannels determine not only light propagation through the disordered system but also the energy concentrated inside. Here, we propose and demonstrate an effective approach to modify these channels, whose structures are considered to be universal in conventional diffusive waveguides. By adjusting the waveguide geometry, we are able to alter the spatial profiles of the transmission eigenchannels significantly and deterministically from the universal ones. In addition, evanescent channels may be converted to propagating channels by gradually increasing the waveguide cross-section. Our approach allows to control not only the transmitted and reflected light, but also the depth profile of energy density inside the scattering system. In particular geometries, perfect reflection channels are created, and their large penetration depth into the turbid medium as well as the complete return of probe light to the input end would greatly benefit sensing and imaging applications. Absorption along with geometry can be further employed for tuning the decay length of energy flux inside the random system, which cannot be achieved in a common waveguide with uniform cross-section. Our approach relies solely on confined geometry and does not require any modification of intrinsic disorder, thus it is applicable to a variety of systems and also to other types of waves.

Department(s)
Physics
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2015 American Physical Society (APS), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
12-1-2015
Publication Date
01 Dec 2015
Disciplines
Citation Information
Raktim Sarma, Alexey Yamilov, Seng Fatt Liew, Mikhael Guy, et al.. "Control of Mesoscopic Transport by Modifying Transmission Channels in Opaque Media" Physical review B: Condensed matter and materials physics Vol. 92 Iss. 21 (2015) p. 214206-1 - 214206-10 ISSN: 1098-0121
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/alexey-yamilov/48/