Thermodynamic concepts can be used to understand nonlinear wave systems, but direct evidence for these analogies is scarce. Experiments with multimode fibres have now enabled direct measurement of the thermalization process of optical waves.
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Suret, P. Thermodynamic equilibrium of optical waves. Nat. Phys. 18, 616–617 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01607-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01607-x