Hidden statistics in speckle patterns

Scattering of coherent light from a disordered material produces a complex distribution of intensity known as a speckle pattern. Speckle patterns are not as random as they appear at first glance. Their statistical properties exhibit universal features, as already recognized in the first paper on laser speckle. The existence of short-range and long-range spatial correlations in speckles has been shown to be fundamental in wave physics. It has also led to the emergence of novel approaches for imaging through scattering media.