Mesoscopic Theory of Wavefront Shaping to Focus Waves inside Disordered Media

Abstract

We describe the {theory of focusing waves} to a predefined spatial point {inside} a disordered {three-dimensional medium} by the external shaping of {$N$} different field sources outside the medium, {also known as wavefront shaping}. We {derive} the energy density of the wave field {both} near the focal point and anywhere else inside the medium, {averaged over realizations\textit{ after} focusing}. {To this end, we conceive of a point source at the focal point that emits waves to a detector array that - by time reversal - emits the desired shaped fields. }%endcolor {It appears that the energy} density is formally equal to intensity speckle described by {the so-called} $C_1$, $C_2$, $C_3$ and even $C_0$ {correlations} in mesoscopic transport theory, {yet the density also obeys a diffusion equation}. The $C_1$ {correlations} describes the focusing in the random medium very well, but do not generate a new source of energy that {is conceived} at the focal point. A source emerges {only} when the $C_2$ speckle is incorporated. The role of $C_0$ speckle, describing fluctuations in the {local density of optical states (LDOS)} is also investigated, {but hardly plays a role in the focusing. } Finally, we use the {concept of an energy source inside the medium} to model the {well-known} optimized transmission by a slab using wavefront shaping.