Statistical signatures of photon localization
Open accessAbstract
The realization that electron localization in disordered systems (Anderson localization) is ultimately a wave phenomenon has led to the suggestion that photons could be similarly localized by disorder. This conjecture attracted wide interest because the differences between photons and electrons--in their interactions, spin statistics, and methods of injection and detection--may open a new realm of optical and microwave phenomena, and allow a detailed study of the Anderson localization transition undisturbed by the Coulomb interaction. To date, claims of three-dimensional photon localization have been based on observations of the exponential decay of the electromagnetic wave as it propagates through the disordered medium. But these reports have come under close scrutiny because of the possibility that the decay observed may be due to residual absorption, and because absorption itself may suppress localization. Here we show that the extent of photon localization can be determined by a different approach--measurement of the relative size of fluctuations of certain transmission quantities. The variance of relative fluctuations accurately reflects the extent of localization, even in the presence of absorption. Using this approach, we demonstrate photon localization in both weakly and strongly scattering quasi-one-dimensional dielectric samples and in periodic metallic wire meshes containing metallic scatterers, while ruling it out in three-dimensional mixtures of aluminium spheres.
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At intermediate times, the particle can be either localized or ballistic.
“At intermediate times (red arrow in Fig. 1e), the particle can be either localized or ballistic [6].”
From Quantum Correlations in Two-Particle Anderson Localization (2010) · cites this paper as [6]
The paper discusses photon localization thresholds and transmission statistics (pp. 1–3), but the passages do not address whether a particle can be localized or ballistic at intermediate times. Searches for intermediate times and ballistic transport found no passage supporting that temporal claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredBosonic correlations can be observed experimentally by injecting photon pairs generated using spontaneous parametric down conversion into disordered waveguide lattices.
“Experimentally, the bosonic correlations can be observed by injecting photon pairs generated using spontaneous parametric down conversion, into disordered waveguide lattices.”
From Quantum Correlations in Two-Particle Anderson Localization (2010) · cites this paper as [6]
The paper describes photon localization measured through transmission fluctuations in disordered dielectric samples and metallic wire meshes (pp. 1, 3–4). Searches for spontaneous parametric down-conversion, photon pairs, and two-photon correlations found no passage addressing the proposed experiment in disordered waveguide lattices. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Chabanov, A. A., Stoytchev, M., & Genack, A. Z.
- Affiliations
- Queens College, CUNY (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chabanov, A. A.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2000-04
- Volume
- 404
- Issue
- 6780
- Pages
- 850-853
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2058292478
- Cited by
- 570
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 9.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Acoustics and Ultrasonics › Random lasers and scattering media
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Quantum chaos and dynamical systems
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Photonic Crystals and Applications
- Keywords
- photon localization, Anderson localization, random media, transmission fluctuations, absorption, optical wave propagation, microwave propagation
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