Absence of Anderson localization of light in a random ensemble of point scatterers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that Anderson localization of light does not occur in a 3D ensemble of point scatterers when considering light's vector nature, highlighting the importance of polarization in wave localization phenomena.

Contribution

It reveals that the vector nature of light prevents Anderson localization in simple point scatterer models, contrasting with scalar approximations.

Findings

Localization is absent when considering light's vector nature.

Localization occurs if the vector character is neglected.

Polarization significantly influences wave localization in disordered media.

Abstract

As discovered by Philip Anderson in 1958, strong disorder can block propagation of waves and lead to the localization of wave-like excitations in space. Anderson localization of light is particularly exciting in view of its possible applications for random lasing or quantum information processing. We show that, surprisingly, Anderson localization of light cannot be achieved in a random three-dimensional ensemble of point scattering centers that is the simplest and widespread model to study the multiple scattering of waves. Localization is recovered if the vector character of light is neglected. This shows that, at least for point scatterers, the polarization of light plays an important role in the Anderson localization problem.