Observation of migrating transverse Anderson localizations of light in nonlocal media

Phys Rev Lett. 2014 May 16;112(19):193902. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.193902. Epub 2014 May 14.

Abstract

We report the experimental observation of the interaction and attraction of many localized modes in a two-dimensional system realized by a disordered optical fiber supporting transverse Anderson localization. We show that a nonlocal optically nonlinear response of thermal origin alters the localization length by an amount determined by the optical power and also induces an action at a distance between the localized modes and their spatial migration. Evidence of a collective and strongly interacting regime is given.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Lasers
  • Light*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / instrumentation
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / methods
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Nonlinear Dynamics
  • Optics and Photonics / instrumentation
  • Optics and Photonics / methods*