Wavelength- and Angle-Selective Optical Memory Effect by Interference of Multiple-Scattered Light

Abstract

We report observations of a new optical memory effect in Sm-doped ZnS nanocrystals and elucidate its mechanism. One of the salient properties of this effect is that the incident angle as well as the wavelength of incoming light is memorized with high resolution. We show that this effect is not based upon spectral selection of homogeneous absorption lines as in the persistent spectral hole-burning effect but upon recording of interference patterns of multiple-scattered light in disordered media.