Wavefront shaping: A powerful and versatile approach for overcoming multiple scattering across multidisciplinary domains: A review article

Optical techniques encompass a broad range of applications, as light–matter interactions provide highly sensitive means for probing or manipulating target media. The majority of these approaches depend on ballistic or quasi-ballistic photons to achieve high spatial resolution. However, the intrinsic scattering of light in biological tissues and tissue-mimicking media represents a major limitation, as it severely restricts the penetration depth of non-scattered photons and, consequently, constrains the broader applicability of many optical methods. Furthermore, conventional optical systems are typically designed and fabricated to perform a fixed function or to deliver a predetermined level of performance. Recent advances in wavefront shaping have revealed that phase distortions induced by scattering media or optical components can be effectively compensated by adaptively optimizing the incident wavefront through iterative algorithms or by exploiting the transmission matrix of the scattering medium. These developments create unprecedented opportunities to realize controlled optical delivery and detection at greater depths, as well as dynamically reconfigurable functionalities, by leveraging scattering media as substitutes for traditional optical components. This article reviews recent progress in wavefront shaping across multidisciplinary fields, including optical focusing and imaging through scattering media, functionalized optical devices, modulation of mode coupling, and nonlinear effects in multimode fibers, along with a range of multimode fiber-based applications. In addition to outlining the fundamental principles and recent technological advances, the review provides a critical discussion of practical limitations and future development pathways. Collectively, these insights suggest that wavefront shaping has a promising future, with the potential to enable new avenues for noninvasive or minimally invasive optical interactions and precise control deep within biological tissues.