Title

Polarization asymmetry in waves backscattering from highly absorbant random media

Abstract

Within the range in which light penetration depth is approximately the same as or less than the diameter of the particles in the medium, particulate media with considerable absorptionbehave as twodimensional, rough-surface structures. As penetration depth increases, a complicatedtransition between volume and surface effects is seen. For these media, low-order scattering sequences have small spatial extent, making observation of polarization characteristics difficult. We present an experimental technique to access the low-order scattered photons by artificially reinjecting them through total internal reflections. Using a dielectric layer in contact with thehigh-absorption medium, we are able to observe fourfold polarization asymmetry in backscatteringfrom highly absorbant media. We discuss the origin of the polarization patterns in a ray-optics approximation and suggest possibilities for solving practical problems encountered in characterizing composites with appreciable absorption. © 1997 Optical Society of America.

Publication Date

11-1-1997

Publication Title

Applied Optics

Volume

36

Issue

31

Number of Pages

8159-8164

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.36.008159

Socpus ID

0000450009 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/0000450009

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