Fundamental bounds of wavefront shaping of spatially entangled photons Shekel, R., S. M. Popoff, and Y. Bromberg APL Photonics 10, no. 11, 110801 (2025)
Résumé: Wavefront shaping enables control of classical light through scattering media. Extending these techniques to spatially entangled photons promises new quantum applications, but their fundamental limits, especially when both photons scatter, remain unclear. Here, we theoretically and numerically investigate the enhancement of two-photon correlations in two specific output modes through thick scattering media. We analyze three configurations: shaping one photon after the medium, shaping both photons before the medium, and shaping both photons after the medium. We show that each configuration yields fundamentally different enhancements compared to classical expectations. For a system with N modes, we show that shaping one photon yields the classical enhancement η ≈ (π/4)N, while shaping both photons before the medium reduces it to η ≈ (π/4)2N. However, in some symmetric detection schemes, when both photons are measured at the same mode, perfect correlations are restored with η ≈ N, resembling digital optical phase conjugation. Conversely, shaping both photons after the medium leads to a complex, NP-hard-like optimization problem, yet achieves superior enhancements, up to η ≈ 4.6N. These results reveal unique quantum effects in complex media and identify strategies for quantum imaging and communication through scattering environments.
Mots-clés: entangled photons; wavefront shaping; focusing; complex media; multimode fiber; scattering media
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Open Transmission Channels in Multimode Fiber Cavities with Random Mode Mixing Pelc, G., S. Guterman, R. Gutiérrez-Cuevas, A. Goetschy, S. M. Popoff, and Y. Bromberg Physical Review Letters 135, no. 17, 173801 (2025)
Résumé: The transport of light in disordered media is governed by open transmission channels, which enable nearly complete transmission of the incident power, despite low average transmission. Extensively studied in diffusive media and chaotic cavities, open channels exhibit unique properties such as universal spatial structure and extended dwell times. However, their experimental study is challenging due to the large number of modes required for control and measurement. We propose a multimode fiber cavity (MMFC) as a platform to explore open channels. Leveraging mode confinement and finite angular spread, MMFCs enable a full control over all channels. This allowed us to achieve an 18-fold power enhancement by selectively exciting an open channel with a transmission rate of 0.90+/-0.04. By analyzing 100 transmission matrices of MMFC realizations, we observed a bimodal transmission eigenvalue distribution, indicating high channel control and low losses. The scalability of MMFCs, combined with long dwell times and potential for nonlinear phenomena, offers new opportunities for studying complex wave transport.
Mots-clés: wavefront shaping; transmission matrix; multimode fiber; bimodal distribution; total transmission
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Detection and characterization of targets in complex media using fingerprint matrices Le Ber, A., A. Goïcoechea, L. M. Rachbauer, W. Lambert, X. Jia, M. Fink, A. Tourin, S. Rotter, and A. Aubry Nature Physics 21, no. 10, 1609-1615 (2025)
Résumé: When waves propagate through a complex medium, they undergo several scattering events. This phenomenon is detrimental to imaging, as it causes full blurring of the image. Here we describe a method for detecting, localizing and characterizing any scattering target embedded in a complex medium. We introduce a fingerprint operator that contains the specific signature of the target with respect to its environment. When applied to the recorded reflection matrix, it provides a likelihood index of the target state. This state can be the position of the target for localization purposes, its shape for characterization or any other parameter that influences its response. We demonstrate the versatility of our method by performing proof-of-concept ultrasound experiments on elastic spheres buried inside a strongly scattering granular suspension and on lesion markers, which are commonly used to monitor breast tumours, embedded in a foam mimicking soft tissue. Furthermore, we show how the fingerprint operator can be leveraged to characterize the complex medium itself by mapping the fibre architecture within muscle tissue. Our method is broadly applicable to different types of waves beyond ultrasound for which multi-element technology allows a reflection matrix to be measured.
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Non-linear coupling in two non-linear delayed acoustic resonators Reda, J., M. Fink, and F. Lemoult Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 158, no. 3, 2130-2137 (2025)
Résumé: Building on our previous work on a Hopf resonator that mimics the cochlear amplifier from Reda, Fink, and Lemoult [(2023). Europhys. Lett. 144(3), 37001], we now turn to the fact that the inner ear comprises thousands of such resonators, which interact through coupling mechanisms. To gain insight into these interactions, we investigate the coupling of two acoustic resonators with slightly detuned resonance frequencies, interacting through time-delayed feedback loops. By modulating the gain of the loop and the coupling strength, we demonstrate the emergence of frequency synchronization at low amplitudes and bifurcations leading to desynchronization at higher amplitudes. This tunable non-linear interaction offers insights into resonance phenomena in coupled systems, with potential implications for auditory modeling and complex acoustic systems.
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