L\'evy flights of photons with infinite mean free path
Abstract
Multiple scattering of light by resonant vapor is characterized by L\'evy-type superdiffusion with a single-step size distribution p(x) 1/x1+α. We investigate L\'evy flight of light in a hot rubidium vapor collisional-broadened by 50 torr of He gas. The frequent collisions produce Lorentzian absorptive and emissive profiles with α<1 and a corresponding divergent mean step size. We extract the L\'evy parameter α≈0.5 in a multiple scattering regime from radial profile of the transmission and from violation of the Ohm's law. The measured radial transmission profile and the total diffusive transmission curves are well reproduced by numerical simulations for Lorentzian line shapes.
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