Phase-reversal diffraction in incoherent light

Phase reversal occurs in the propagation of an electromagnetic wave in a negatively refracting medium or a phase-conjugate interface. Here we report the experimental observation of phase-reversal diffraction without the above devices. Our experimental results and theoretical analysis demonstrate that phase-reversal diffraction can be formed through the first-order field correlation of chaotic light. The experimental realization is similar to the phase-reversal behavior in negatively refracting media.