Intensity correlations in random media induced by refractive index tuning (RIT)

We introduce a new approach for measuring both the transport and the effective medium properties of light propagation in inhomogeneous media. These properties include the diffusion constant, the path length distribution, and the effective index of refraction. Our method utilizes the equivalence of frequency variation with a change in the index of refraction. A new correlation function that describes correlations in both frequency and index of refraction is introduced. Experimentally, we measure this correlation via spectrally resolved refractive index tuning (RIT), controlling the latter via changes in the ambient pressure. Our new generic measurement technique can be used to characterize a wide variety of materials, including photonic crystals, random photonic media, photonic meta-materials, and certain porous biological samples like bone and wood.