#PhysicsJournalClub "Anderson Transition for Light in a Three-Dimensional Random Medium" by A. Yamilov, H. Cao, and S. Skipetrov Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 046302 (2025) Anderson localization is a phenomenon where wave interference in a disordered scattering medium results in the wave being unable […] - ThreadSky

j-bertolotti.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy • 25 days ago

#PhysicsJournalClub
"Anderson Transition for Light in a Three-Dimensional Random Medium"
by A. Yamilov, H. Cao, and S. Skipetrov
Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 046302 (2025)

Anderson localization is a phenomenon where wave interference in a disordered scattering medium results in the wave being unable […]

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johncarlosbaez.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

@j_bertolotti - what does it mean to say Anderson localization is "very niche"? I'd interpret that to mean it's unimportant... maybe in light, where nobody even know if it's possible? You've explained how it's poorly understood, so even experts are struggling... but that by itself isn't what […]

j-bertolotti.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

@johncarlosbaez I mean that nowadays there isn't a lot of people working on it. It was a very popular topic at a certain point, but it got out of fashion and people moved to other problems 🙂

johncarlosbaez.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

@j_bertolotti - can you estimate how many people are working on Anderson localization now?

There are fewer than 10 people using category theory to design better software for epidemiology... that's the kind of subject I like to work on.

j-bertolotti.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

@johncarlosbaez But at least category theory to design better software for epidemiology is a new and exciting topic! Anderson localization is fascinating, but people have banged their head on it for decades 🙂
Anyway, I can think of 3-4 people who probably work on it most of their time, but I […]

johncarlosbaez.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

@j_bertolotti - Okay, that's really very few people.

I try to work on things that will become fashionable right around the time I quit working on them. For some reason I have a real distaste for working in a competitive overcrowded field.

dougmerritt.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

@johncarlosbaez @j_bertolotti
This should be considered one of a zillion things that make condensed matter physics opaquely complicated, right?

johncarlosbaez.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

@j_bertolotti - okay, that makes sense.

j-bertolotti.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy•25 days ago

What about 3D? 3D turned out to be more complicated, as the theory tells us that Anderson localization in 3D is not guaranteed, but can only happen if the system is disorder "enough" (without a well specified definition of "enough"). For (ultra)sound it took until 2008 to get an unequivocal […]

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