简介: |
Random scattering of light, e.g., in paint, cloud and biological tissue, is a common process of both fundamental interest and practical relevance. The interference of multiply scattered waves leads to remarkable phenomena in mesoscopic physics such as Anderson localization and universal conductance fluctuations. In applications, optical scattering is the main obstacle to imaging or sending information through turbid media. Recent developments of adaptive wavefront shaping and phase recording techniques in optics have enabled the experimental demonstrations of imaging and focusing light through opaque samples. Using the wavefront shaping technique, we showed that the total transmission of light through a highly scattering slab can be varied by one order of magnitude. Such a significant modification of the total transmission is only possible because of the mesoscopic correlations. In addition, we demonstrated that coherent illumination and wave-front shaping can be used to make a weakly absorbing cavity perfectly absorbing and to enhance strongly the absorption of a multiple scattering medium. The coherent control of absorption is achieved not by manipulating the property of the absorbing medium, but by optimizing the property of the incident light.
About the speaker:
Professor Cao did her B. S. in Peking Univ., M. Sc. in Princeton Univ, and Ph.D. Stanford. After receiving her Ph. D in 1997 she joined Northwestern University as an assistant professor, where she was promoted to associated professor in 2002 and to full professor in 2007. From 2008 she has been a Professor of Physics in Yale University. Professor Cao is an international leader in mesoscopic optics. Her achievements were recognized by many distinguished honors including William E. Lamb Medal for Laser Physics and Quantum Optics，Fellow of American Physical Society and Optical Society of America, and Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award from American Physical Society. |
