Transmission Eigenchannels and the Densities of States of Random Media

We show in microwave measurements and computer simulations that the contribution of each eigenchannel of the transmission matrix to the density of states (DOS) is the derivative with angular frequency of a composite phase shift. The accuracy of the measurement of the DOS determined from transmission eigenchannels is confirmed by the agreement with the DOS found from the decomposition of the field into modes. The distribution of the DOS, which underlies the Thouless number, is substantially broadened in the Anderson localization transition. We find a crossover from constant to exponential scaling of fluctuations of the DOS normalized by its average value. These results illuminate the relationships between scattering, stored energy, and dynamics in complex media.