Measuring the Transmission Matrix in Optics : An Approach to the Study and Control of Light Propagation in Disordered Media

TL;DR

This paper presents an experimental method to measure the transmission matrix of complex optical media, enabling improved control and understanding of light propagation through disordered materials.

Contribution

The authors introduce a novel interferometric technique to measure the optical transmission matrix of thick scattering media, linking experimental results with random matrix theory.

Findings

Transmission matrix exhibits statistical properties consistent with random matrix theory

Method enables focusing and imaging through complex media

Provides insights into mesoscopic properties of disordered media

Abstract

We introduce a method to experimentally measure the monochromatic transmission matrix of a complex medium in optics. This method is based on a spatial phase modulator together with a full-field interferometric measurement on a camera. We determine the transmission matrix of a thick random scattering sample. We show that this matrix exhibits statistical properties in good agreement with random matrix theory and allows light focusing and imaging through the random medium. This method might give important insights into the mesoscopic properties of complex medium.