Definition
Plain language
A grid of numbers describing how light gets scrambled when it passes through a diffuser.
As stated in the literature
A complex-valued operator characterizing the linear mapping from input optical modes to output modes through a scattering medium.
Why it matters: Once measured, it turns scattering media from obstacles into programmable optical elements for imaging, communication, and computing.
For example, calibrating the transmission matrix of a frosted glass plate makes it possible to send a focused beam through it to a chosen spot.
Heard on the show
“If you can characterize how it scrambles — measure what's called the transmission matrix — then you can use the scrambling.”Episode 002 — An AI Ran a Real Optics Lab for 21 Hours and Found a Transformer-Shaped Pattern in Light