Abstract: Anderson localization has been a subject of fascination and intense research for nearly sixty years. It is highly desirable to harness its unique and exciting properties in practical applications. We have taken a step in this direction by using this phenomenon as the waveguiding mechanism in optical fibers. In this talk, I will survey recent advances in the fundamental understanding and application of Anderson localization optical fibers, especially the utilization of random matrix theory to the design of these fibers.

 

Bio: Arash Mafi is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and a Fellow of the Optical Society. He is also the Director of the Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM) at UNM. Mafi received his undergraduate degree in Physics from Sharif University of Technology, and his Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from The Ohio State University. Following his postdoctoral appointments at the University of Arizona in Physics and The Optical Sciences Center, he joined Corning Incorporated as a Senior Research Scientist working on optical fibers and liquid crystal displays. He moved to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2008, where he was an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, before joining the University of New Mexico in 2014. Mafi served as the General Chair of the Optical Science and Engineering (OSE) Graduate Program in the 2015-2016 academic year. His research interests include quantum and nonlinear behavior of optical waveguides, light propagation in disordered media, and fiber lasers.