Optical scattering has long been considered detrimental to lasing action. Surprisingly in a highly-disordered dielectric medium, strong light scattering facilitates lasing by providing feedback and forming cavities. Such kind of laser is called random laser or mirrorless laser. I will review our recent development of coherent random laser and micro random laser. The spatial localization of light in strongly scattering medium provides a new mechanism of optical confinement for microlaser. I will also discuss the effect of dynamical localization on lasing modes in chaotic microcavities.

ANL Physics Division Colloquium Schedule