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Electrical tuning of branched flow of light

Author

Listed:
  • Shan-shan Chang

    (Xiamen University)

  • Ke-Hui Wu

    (Xiamen University)

  • Si-jia Liu

    (Nanjing University)

  • Zhi-Kang Lin

    (Soochow University)

  • Jin-bing Wu

    (Nanjing University)

  • Shi-jun Ge

    (Nanjing University)

  • Lu-Jian Chen

    (Xiamen University)

  • Peng Chen

    (Nanjing University)

  • Wei Hu

    (Nanjing University)

  • Yadong Xu

    (Soochow University)

  • Huanyang Chen

    (Xiamen University)

  • Dahai He

    (Xiamen University)

  • Da-Quan Yang

    (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications)

  • Jian-Hua Jiang

    (Soochow University
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Yan-qing Lu

    (Nanjing University)

  • Jin-hui Chen

    (Xiamen University
    Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM))

Abstract

Branched flows occur ubiquitously in various wave systems, when the propagating waves encounter weak correlated scattering potentials. Here we report the experimental realization of electrical tuning of the branched flow of light using a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) system. We create the physical realization of the weakly correlated disordered potentials of light via the inhomogeneous orientations of the NLC. We demonstrate that the branched flow of light can be switched on and off as well as tuned continuously through the electro-optical properties of NLC film. We further show that the branched flow can be manipulated by the polarization of the incident light due to the optical anisotropy of the NLC film. The nature of the branched flow of light is revealed via the unconventional intensity statistics and the rapid fidelity decay along the light propagation. Our study unveils an excellent platform for the tuning of the branched flow of light which creates a testbed for fundamental physics and offers a new way for steering light.

Suggested Citation

  • Shan-shan Chang & Ke-Hui Wu & Si-jia Liu & Zhi-Kang Lin & Jin-bing Wu & Shi-jun Ge & Lu-Jian Chen & Peng Chen & Wei Hu & Yadong Xu & Huanyang Chen & Dahai He & Da-Quan Yang & Jian-Hua Jiang & Yan-qing, 2024. "Electrical tuning of branched flow of light," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-44500-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44500-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marco Peccianti & Claudio Conti & Gaetano Assanto & Antonio De Luca & Cesare Umeton, 2004. "Routing of anisotropic spatial solitons and modulational instability in liquid crystals," Nature, Nature, vol. 432(7018), pages 733-737, December.
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