Disordered resonant media: Self-induced transparency versus light localization

TL;DR

This paper investigates how disorder in resonant media affects light propagation, revealing a transition from self-induced transparency to localization depending on disorder and medium parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a model of disordered resonant media with random active particle density variations and analyzes their impact on SIT and light localization.

Findings

Disorder causes a transition from SIT to light localization.

The transition depends on disorder level, atom density, and medium thickness.

Numerical simulations demonstrate the conditions for localization.

Abstract

We propose a concept of disordered resonant media, which are characterized by random variations of their parameters along the light propagation direction. In particular, a simple model of disorder considered in the paper implies random change of the density of active particles (two-level atoms). Within this model, the effect of disorder on self-induced transparency (SIT) is analyzed using numerical simulations of light pulse propagation through the medium. The transition from the SIT to localization regime is revealed as well as its dependence on the disorder level, atom density, medium thickness, and period of random variations.