Controlling spatial coherence with an optical complex medium

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method for single-shot control of optical spatial coherence among multiple fields using a multi-port linear optical device and wavefront shaping through a complex medium.

Contribution

It presents a new approach that enables simultaneous control of spatial coherence for multiple optical fields in a single shot, overcoming previous speed and pairwise limitations.

Findings

Successfully demonstrated a 3x3-port system controlling three beams' correlations

Achieved arbitrary mutual coherence configurations among multiple optical fields

Experimental validation of single-shot spatial coherence control

Abstract

Control over optical spatial coherence is a key requirement in diverse applications including imaging, optical trapping, and communications. Current approaches to controlling spatial coherence are constrained by speed or limited to a single pair of optical fields. Here, we propose a method to achieve single-shot control of the spatial coherence between an arbitrary number of fields. Our method employs a multi-port linear optical device, which we realize by shaping the wavefront of the input light fields and transmitting them through a complex medium. To demonstrate the capabilities of our method, we experimentally realize a 3x3-port system and use it to generate three output beams with desired mutual correlations.