Controlling spatial coherence with an optical complex medium

Abstract

Control over optical spatial coherence is a key requirement in diverse applications including imaging, optical trapping, and communications. Current approaches to controlling spatial coherence are constrained by speed or limited to a single pair of optical fields. Here, we propose a method to achieve single-shot control of the spatial coherence between an arbitrary number of fields. Our method employs a multi-port linear optical device, which we realize by shaping the wavefront of the input light fields and transmitting them through a complex medium. To demonstrate the capabilities of our method, we experimentally realize a 3x3-port system and use it to generate three output beams with desired mutual correlations.