Particle-like topologies of light in turbulent complex media

TL;DR

This paper investigates the behavior of particle-like optical singularities in turbulent media, demonstrating their stability and dynamics through combined numerical and experimental studies, with implications for optical sensing and communication.

Contribution

It reveals that polarization and phase vortices behave identically in turbulent media, supported by experimental and numerical evidence, advancing understanding of optical topologies in complex environments.

Findings

Polarization and phase vortices exhibit identical behavior in turbulence.

Experimental and numerical results show agreement in vortex dynamics.

Optical topologies can be harnessed for sensing and communication in noisy environments.

Abstract

The basic building blocks of many forms of optical topologies are particle-like singularities in phase and polarisation, giving rise to lines of darkness that weave complex threads in 3D space. Although known for half a century since seminal work on dislocations in wave trains, their behaviour in complex media remains under debate, especially with respect to their relative stability. Here we show that polarisation and phase vortices behave identically in one-sided turbulent complex channels. We perform complementary numerical and experimental studies using atmospheric turbulence as a test case, demonstrating agreement and equivalent dynamics. Our work addresses open questions on optical topologies and will be relevant to their harnessing for applications such as sensing, communication, imaging, and information transfer in noisy or complex environments.