Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

A Random Anti-Laser Implemented by Coherent Perfect Absorption in a Disordered Medium

Kevin Pichler, Matthias Kühmayer, Julian Böhm, André Brandstötter, Philipp Ambichl, Ulrich Kuhl, Stefan Rotter

Published May 5, 2019• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report the first experimental implementation of coherent perfect absorption in a disordered medium. We thereby realize a “random anti-laser”, which produces the time-reversed process of random lasing at threshold. © 2019 The Author(s)
DOI
10.23919/cleo.2019.8749895

Related papers

A Random Anti-Laser Implemented by Coherent Perfect Absorption in a Disordered Medium

Kevin Pichler, Matthias Kühmayer, Julian Böhm +4 more

We report the first experimental implementation of coherent perfect absorption in a disordered medium. We thereby realize a “random anti-laser”, which produces the time-reversed process of random lasing at threshold.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2019•0 citations

Time-Reversed Lasing and Interferometric Control of Absorption

Wenjie Wan, Y. D. Chong, Li Ge +3 more

In the time-reversed counterpart to laser emission, incident coherent optical fields are perfectly absorbed within a resonator that contains a loss medium instead of a gain medium. The incident fields and frequency must coincide with those of the corresponding laser with gain. We demonstrated this effect for two counterpropagating incident fields in a silicon cavity, showing that scattering [corrected] can be modulated [corrected] by two orders of magnitude, the maximum predicted by theory for our experimental setup. In addition, we showed that absorption can be reduced substantially by varying the relative phase of the incident fields. The device, termed a "coherent perfect absorber," functions as an absorptive interferometer, with potential practical applications in integrated optics.

Science•Feb 17, 2011•826 citations

Coherent perfect absorbers for transient, periodic, or chaotic optical fields: Time-reversed lasers beyond threshold

Stefano Longhi, Giuseppe Della Valle

Recent works [Chong et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 053901 (2010); Wan et al., Science 331, 889 (2011)] have shown that the time-reversed process of lasing at threshold realizes a coherent perfect absorber (CPA). In a CPA, a lossy medium in an optical cavity with a specific degree of dissipation, equal in modulus to the gain of the lasing medium, can perfectly absorb coherent optical waves at discrete frequencies that are the time-reversed counterpart of the lasing modes. Here the concepts of time reversal of lasing and CPA are extended for optical radiation emitted by a laser operated in an arbitrary regime, i.e., for transient, chaotic, or periodic coherent optical fields. We prove that any electromagnetic signal $E(t)$ generated by a laser system $S$ operated in an arbitrary regime can be perfectly absorbed by a CPA device ${S}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ which is simply realized by placing inside $S$ a broadband linear absorber (attenuator) of appropriate transmittance. As examples, we discuss CPA devices that perfectly absorb a chaotic laser signal and a frequency-modulated optical wave.

Physical Review A•May 29, 2012•26 citations

Laser emission and coherent control of absorption in complex and random systems

A. Douglas Stone, Y. D. Chong, Li Ge +1 more

A scattering theory of lasing and absorption in arbitrary complex and random systems is presented, leading to tractable computational methods to describe multimode lasing, as well as time-reversed lasing and coherent control of absorption.

Frontiers in Optics•Jan 1, 2011•0 citations

Random amplification of coherent light in diffusive random lasers

Ravitej Uppu, Sushil A. Mujumdar

Random lasing is a phenomenon in which light amplification is favoured by a disordered environment[1]. A vast body of research exists that endorses the exciting physics seen in such media[2-4]. Hitherto, however, these systems have always been studied in the self-amplification mode where the spontaneous fluorescence of the medium is amplified. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the amplification of an external coherent signal by a random amplifying system. This is the first such demonstration, which has potential applications in optical amplifiers, frequency control of random lasers[5,6] etc.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•May 1, 2013•0 citations

Coherent perfect absorption in nonlinear optics

Yuanlin Zheng, Wenjie Wan, Xianfeng Chen

Recently, a concept of time reversed lasing or coherent perfect absorber (CPA) has been proposed by A. D. Stone and co-workers, and was shortly experimentally demonstrated by them. The CPA system is illuminated coherently and monochromatically by the time reverse of the output of a lasing mode and the incident radiation is perfectly absorbed. Shortly afterwards, Stefano Longhi extended the idea to realize a CPA for colored incident light, and have theoretically shown that the time reversal of optical parametric oscillation (OPO) in a nonlinear medium could also realize a colored CPA for incident signal and idler fields which can be seemed as a kind of nonlinear CPA. Here we present the realization of such time-reversed processes in nonlinear optics regime, including time-reversed second harmonic generation (SHG) for coherent absorption at harmonic frequency of the pump and time-reversed optical parametric amplification (OPA) for coherent attenuation of colored travelling optical fields. Time reversed SHG is carried out at both phase matching and mismatching conditions, which shows parametric near perfect absorption at the harmonic frequency of the pump. The time reversal of OPA is demonstrated experimentally in a nonlinear medium to form a coherent absorber for perpendicularly polarized signal and idler travelling waves, realizing in the condition of OPA by a type II phase matching scheme. The absorption of signal/idler pair occurs at some specific phase difference. This is the first experimental demonstration of coherent absorption processes in nonlinear optics regime.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Feb 22, 2013•0 citations
In the time-reversed counterpart to laser emission, incident coherent optical fields are perfectly absorbed within a resonator that contains a loss medium instead of a gain medium. The incident fields and frequency must coincide with those of the corresponding laser with gain. We demonstrated this effect for two counterpropagating incident fields in a silicon cavity, showing that scattering [corrected] can be modulated [corrected] by two orders of magnitude, the maximum predicted by theory for our experimental setup. In addition, we showed that absorption can be reduced substantially by varying the relative phase of the incident fields. The device, termed a "coherent perfect absorber," functions as an absorptive interferometer, with potential practical applications in integrated optics.
Recent works [Chong et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 053901 (2010); Wan et al., Science 331, 889 (2011)] have shown that the time-reversed process of lasing at threshold realizes a coherent perfect absorber (CPA). In a CPA, a lossy medium in an optical cavity with a specific degree of dissipation, equal in modulus to the gain of the lasing medium, can perfectly absorb coherent optical waves at discrete frequencies that are the time-reversed counterpart of the lasing modes. Here the concepts of time reversal of lasing and CPA are extended for optical radiation emitted by a laser operated in an arbitrary regime, i.e., for transient, chaotic, or periodic coherent optical fields. We prove that any electromagnetic signal E(t)E(t)E(t) generated by a laser system SSS operated in an arbitrary regime can be perfectly absorbed by a CPA device ${S}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ which is simply realized by placing inside SSS a broadband linear absorber (attenuator) of appropriate transmittance. As examples, we discuss CPA devices that perfectly absorb a chaotic laser signal and a frequency-modulated optical wave.
Random lasing is a phenomenon in which light amplification is favoured by a disordered environment[1]. A vast body of research exists that endorses the exciting physics seen in such media[2-4]. Hitherto, however, these systems have always been studied in the self-amplification mode where the spontaneous fluorescence of the medium is amplified. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the amplification of an external coherent signal by a random amplifying system. This is the first such demonstration, which has potential applications in optical amplifiers, frequency control of random lasers[5,6] etc.
Recently, a concept of time reversed lasing or coherent perfect absorber (CPA) has been proposed by A. D. Stone and co-workers, and was shortly experimentally demonstrated by them. The CPA system is illuminated coherently and monochromatically by the time reverse of the output of a lasing mode and the incident radiation is perfectly absorbed. Shortly afterwards, Stefano Longhi extended the idea to realize a CPA for colored incident light, and have theoretically shown that the time reversal of optical parametric oscillation (OPO) in a nonlinear medium could also realize a colored CPA for incident signal and idler fields which can be seemed as a kind of nonlinear CPA. Here we present the realization of such time-reversed processes in nonlinear optics regime, including time-reversed second harmonic generation (SHG) for coherent absorption at harmonic frequency of the pump and time-reversed optical parametric amplification (OPA) for coherent attenuation of colored travelling optical fields. Time reversed SHG is carried out at both phase matching and mismatching conditions, which shows parametric near perfect absorption at the harmonic frequency of the pump. The time reversal of OPA is demonstrated experimentally in a nonlinear medium to form a coherent absorber for perpendicularly polarized signal and idler travelling waves, realizing in the condition of OPA by a type II phase matching scheme. The absorption of signal/idler pair occurs at some specific phase difference. This is the first experimental demonstration of coherent absorption processes in nonlinear optics regime.