Probing the dynamics of Anderson localization through spatial mapping

TL;DR

This paper investigates the dynamics of Anderson localization of electromagnetic waves in a (1+1)D setting through direct spatial measurements, revealing wave evolution, oscillations, and dissipation effects.

Contribution

It provides the first direct spatial mapping of wave build-up in Anderson localization and compares experimental results with numerical simulations.

Findings

Dissipation does not affect localization

Oscillations in wave functions are observed and explained

Wave evolution matches numerical calculations

Abstract

We study (1+1)D transverse localization of electromagnetic radiation at microwave frequencies directly by two-dimensional spatial scans. Since the longitudinal direction can be mapped onto time, our experiments provide unique snapshots of the build-up of localized waves. The evolution of the wave functions is compared with numerical calculations. Dissipation is shown to have no effect on the occurrence of transverse localization. Oscillations of the wave functions are observed in space and explained in terms of a beating between the eigenstates.