2021/10/08 by Reinier van der Meer, Michiel de Goede, van der Meer, Reinier +17
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Optics (physics.optics) #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Random Matrices and Applications #Random lasers and scattering media
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2110.04380
openalex publication_date 2021/10/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The existence of fully transmissive eigenchannels ("open channels") in a random scattering medium is a counterintuitive and unresolved prediction of random matrix theory. The smoking gun of such open channels, namely a bimodal distribution of the transmission efficiencies of the scattering channels, has so far eluded experimental observation. We observe an experimental distribution of transmission efficiencies that obeys the predicted bimodal Dorokhov-Mello-Pereyra-Kumar distribution. Thereby we show the existence of open channels in a linear optical scattering system. The characterization of the scattering system is carried out by a quantum-optical readout method. We find that missing a single channel in the measurement already prevents detection of the open channels, illustrating why their observation has proven so elusive until now. Our work confirms a long-standing prediction of random matrix theory underlying wave transport through disordered systems.