Control of wave scattering for robust coherent transmission in a disordered medium

Abstract: The spatial structure of the inhomogeneity in a disordered medium determines how waves scatter and propagate in it. We present a theoretical model of how the Fourier components of the disorder control wave scattering in a two-dimensional disordered medium, by analyzing the disordered Green's function for scalar waves. By selecting a set of Fourier components with the appropriate wave vectors, we can enhance or suppress wave scattering to filter out unwanted waves and allow the robust coherent transmission of waves at specific angles and wavelengths through the disordered medium. Based on this principle, we propose an approach for creating selective transparency, band gaps and anisotropy in disordered media. This approach is validated by direct numerical simulations of coherent wave transmission over a wide range of incident angles and frequencies and can be experimentally realized in disordered photonic crystals. Our approach, which requires neither nontrivial topological wave properties nor a non-Hermitian medium, creates opportunities for exploring a broad range of wave phenomena in disordered systems.