Observation of Anderson localization of light in three dimensions

Using time-resolved transmission measurements, we have found indications of Anderson localization of light in bulk three-dimensional systems. The observed deviation from classical diffusion is in good accord with theoretical predictions of localization and cannot be explained by absorption or experimental artifacts such as stratification, fluorescence, or background illumination. Moreover, we show that in our samples the control parameter is given by the mean free path times the wavenumber as required by the Ioffe-Regel criterion. This is in contrast to quasi-one-dimensional systems that were studied with microwaves. There, the control parameter is related to the number of modes inside a waveguide, and deviations from classical diffusion are possible due to a small number of modes.