Abstract
We numerically study the topology of optical vortex lines (nodal lines) in volumes of optical speckle, modeled as superpositions of random plane waves. It is known that the vortex lines may be infinitely long, or form closed loops. Loops are occasionally threaded by infinite lines, or linked with other loops. We find the probability of a loop not being threaded decays exponentially with the length of the loop. This behavior has a similarity to scaling laws studied in superfluid turbulence, and polymers modeled as random walks.
- Received 4 November 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.143902
©2009 American Physical Society
Synopsis
Weaving a tangled web
Published 20 April 2009
Simulations of optical speckle reveal topological scaling laws that apply to a wide range of physical systems.
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