Dynamics of the transverse optical flux in random media

Journal Article (2026)
Author(s)

Yuchen Ke (TU Delft - Optical Technologies)

Nandini Bhattacharya (TU Delft - Optical Technologies, TU Delft - ImPhys/Medical Imaging)

Fabian Maucher (TU Delft - Optical Technologies)

Research Group
Optical Technologies
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1103/5rww-88k5
More Info
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Publication Year
2026
Language
English
Research Group
Optical Technologies
Issue number
1
Volume number
8
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Abstract

We study the evolution of the kinetic energy (or gradient norm) of an incident linearly polarized monochromatic wave propagating in correlated random media. We explore the optical flux transverse to the mean Poynting flux at the paraxial-nonparaxial (vectorial) transition along with vortex counting. Here, by paraxial-nonparaxial transition we mean a gradual loss of validity of the paraxial approximation such that it is necessary to solve Maxwell-consistently employing the dyadic Green’s function. The vortex number appears to increase approximately with a cubic root of the propagation distance for sufficiently small correlation length. Furthermore, a kink appears in nucleation rate at the position of maximum scintillation upon increasing correlation length. A driven steady state is reached due to the filtering of evanescent waves upon propagation. Finally, we present the spectrum of the incompressible kinetic energy and how it evolves from the paraxial case to that of a (nonparaxial) random field.