The propagation speed of optical speckle
Abstract That the speed of light in vacuum is constant is a cornerstone of modern physics. However, recent experiments have shown that when the light field is confined in the transverse plane, the observed propagation speed of the light is reduced. This effect is a consequence of the transverse stru...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35990-z |
| _version_ | 1797806750891507712 |
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| author | Zhenyu Wan Murat Yessenov Miles J. Padgett |
| author_facet | Zhenyu Wan Murat Yessenov Miles J. Padgett |
| author_sort | Zhenyu Wan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract That the speed of light in vacuum is constant is a cornerstone of modern physics. However, recent experiments have shown that when the light field is confined in the transverse plane, the observed propagation speed of the light is reduced. This effect is a consequence of the transverse structure which reduces the component of wavevector of the light in the direction of propagation, thereby modifying both the phase and group velocity. Here, we consider the case of optical speckle, which has a random transverse distribution and is ubiquitous with scales ranging from the microscopic to the astronomical. We numerically investigate the plane-to-plane propagation speed of the optical speckle by using the method of angular spectrum analysis. For a general diffuser with Gaussian scattering over an angular range of 5°, we calculate the slowing of the propagation speed of the optical speckle to be on the order of 1% of the free-space speed, resulting in a significantly higher temporal delay compared to the Bessel and Laguerre–Gaussian beams considered previously. Our results have implications for studying optical speckle in both laboratory and astronomical settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:12:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ffc23826367543be98ce37d16c420097 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:12:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-ffc23826367543be98ce37d16c4200972023-06-11T11:12:35ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-06-011311910.1038/s41598-023-35990-zThe propagation speed of optical speckleZhenyu Wan0Murat Yessenov1Miles J. Padgett2School of Physics and Astronomy, University of GlasgowCREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central FloridaSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of GlasgowAbstract That the speed of light in vacuum is constant is a cornerstone of modern physics. However, recent experiments have shown that when the light field is confined in the transverse plane, the observed propagation speed of the light is reduced. This effect is a consequence of the transverse structure which reduces the component of wavevector of the light in the direction of propagation, thereby modifying both the phase and group velocity. Here, we consider the case of optical speckle, which has a random transverse distribution and is ubiquitous with scales ranging from the microscopic to the astronomical. We numerically investigate the plane-to-plane propagation speed of the optical speckle by using the method of angular spectrum analysis. For a general diffuser with Gaussian scattering over an angular range of 5°, we calculate the slowing of the propagation speed of the optical speckle to be on the order of 1% of the free-space speed, resulting in a significantly higher temporal delay compared to the Bessel and Laguerre–Gaussian beams considered previously. Our results have implications for studying optical speckle in both laboratory and astronomical settings.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35990-z |
| spellingShingle | Zhenyu Wan Murat Yessenov Miles J. Padgett The propagation speed of optical speckle Scientific Reports |
| title | The propagation speed of optical speckle |
| title_full | The propagation speed of optical speckle |
| title_fullStr | The propagation speed of optical speckle |
| title_full_unstemmed | The propagation speed of optical speckle |
| title_short | The propagation speed of optical speckle |
| title_sort | propagation speed of optical speckle |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35990-z |
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