Getting beneath the surface of opaque media: universal structure of transmission eigenchannels

Because the desire to explore opaque materials is ordinarily frustrated by multiple scattering of waves, attention has focused on the transmission matrix of the wave field. This matrix gives the fullest account of transmission and conductance and enables the control of the transmitted flux; however, it cannot address the fundamental issue of the spatial profile of eigenchannels of the transmission matrix inside the sample. Here we obtain a universal expression for the average disposition of energy of transmission eigenchannels for diffusive waves in terms of auxiliary localization lengths determined by the corresponding transmission eigenvalues. The spatial profile of each eigenchannel is shown to be a solution of a generalized diffusion equation. These results reveal the rich structure of transmission eigenchannels and enable the control of wave propagation and the energy distribution inside random media.