Nanowerk June 17, 2023
Anderson localization is the absence of diffusion of waves in disordered systems. Despite extensive studies over the past 40 years, Anderson localization of light in three dimensions has remained elusive, leading to the question of its very existence. An international team of researchers (USA – Missouri University, industry, University of Wisconsin, France) used brute-force numerical simulations of light transport in fully disordered three-dimensional systems with unprecedented dimension and refractive index difference. They showed numerically three-dimensional localization of vector electromagnetic waves in random aggregates of overlapping metallic spheres, in sharp contrast to the absence of localization for dielectric spheres with a refractive index up to 10 in air. The discovery could open a wide range of avenues in both fundamental research and practical applications using 3D localized light… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Credit: Yale University