Time reversal of optical waves

M. Mounaix; N. K. Fontaine; H. Chen; R. Ryf; D. T. Neilson; Joel Carpenter

doi:10.1117/12.2556661

30 December 2019 Time reversal of optical waves

M. Mounaix, N. K. Fontaine, H. Chen, R. Ryf, D. T. Neilson, Joel Carpenter

Proceedings Volume 11200, AOS Australian Conference on Optical Fibre Technology (ACOFT) and Australian Conference on Optics, Lasers, and Spectroscopy (ACOLS) 2019; 112001R (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2556661
Event: ANZCOP, 2019, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Wave propagation is a linear process in the time domain in the absence of loss. This property has been exploited over the past 20 years for wave control through highly disordered media. Let’s consider a short pulse propagating through a disordered system. If the field associated to the pulse is recorded and played backwards, the wave is focused back to the source at a single delay. This time reversal control has been evidenced for low frequency waves such as acoustics, water waves and microwaves. Over the last decade, partial spatiotemporal control of optical waves has been demonstrated by means of spatial light modulators. However full optical time reversal remains elusive. In this paper, we demonstrate time reversal of optical waves with a device that can manipulate independently amplitude and phase of 90 spatial and polarization modes, over 4 THz of bandwidth and 20 ps of delay. For the first time we demonstrate arbitrary control of all the degrees of freedom: spatial (amplitude and phase), polarization, spectral and temporal after propagation through a multimode fiber. This new ability to control and manipulate at will optical waves opens promising opportunities for linear and nonlinear optical phenomena, such as imaging and optical communications.

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M. Mounaix, N. K. Fontaine, H. Chen, R. Ryf, D. T. Neilson, and Joel Carpenter "Time reversal of optical waves", Proc. SPIE 11200, AOS Australian Conference on Optical Fibre Technology (ACOFT) and Australian Conference on Optics, Lasers, and Spectroscopy (ACOLS) 2019, 112001R (30 December 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2556661

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KEYWORDS

Polarization

Geometrical optics

Spatial light modulators

Multimode fibers

Optical transfer functions

Control systems

Free space optics

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