Definition
Plain language
A material like frosted glass that scrambles light in a complicated but fixed way as it passes through.
As stated in the literature
An optically thick medium that randomizes the phase and direction of transmitted light deterministically; characterized by a transmission matrix, so the scrambling can be inverted to focus a controlled pattern through it.
Also called: diffuser
Why it matters: Because the scrambling is consistent, it can be mathematically reversed to focus light through the material, turning an obstacle into a tool.
For example, frosted glass scrambles light so you can't see through it, yet it scrambles in the same fixed way every time.
Heard on the show
“The technique works like this: a diffuser scrambles light in a complicated but deterministic way.”Episode 002 — An AI Ran a Real Optics Lab for 21 Hours and Found a Transformer-Shaped Pattern in Light