Superfluorescence of Photonic Paint

TL;DR

This paper investigates superfluorescence in a disordered medium with incoherently pumped atoms, revealing how cooperative decay depends on atomic trajectories and exploring probe wave reflection during emission.

Contribution

It introduces a model linking superfluorescence characteristics to atomic trajectories in a scattering medium and analyzes probe wave reflection during cooperative emission.

Findings

Cooperation number equals the number of atoms along a diffusive light path.

Superfluorescent impulses' duration and amplitude depend on the cooperation number.

Reflection of a probe wave is affected during cooperative emission.

Abstract

We consider the cooperative decay of incoherently pumped atoms in a disordered medium, where light undergoes multiple scattering. It is shown that the cooperation number, which determines the duration and amplitude of superfluorescent impulses, is given by the number of atoms along a diffusive trajectory of the light propagating through the medium. We also consider the problem of reflection of a probe wave during cooperative emission.