Superradiant Scattering from Nonlinear Wave-Mode Coupling

Abstract

Waves scattered at a self-oscillating mode can exhibit superradiance, or net amplification of an external harmonic excitation. This exotic behavior, arising from the nonlinear coupling between the mode and the incident wave, is theoretically predicted and experimentally confirmed for the first time in this work. We propose a generic theory of nonlinear wave-mode coupling, which is derived in analogy to the temporal coupled-mode theory of [Fan et al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 20, 569 (2003)]. A well-reproducible aeroacoustic realization of a superradiant scatterer was used to test the theory's predictions. It is shown that the nonlinear wave-mode coupling can be exploited to quasi-passively tune the reflection and transmission coefficients of a side cavity in a waveguide. The theoretical framework used to describe this type of superradiance is applicable to non-acoustic systems and may be used to design lossless scattering devices.