On determination of the structural parameters of polydisperse magnetic fluids by small-angle neutron scattering

Factors affecting the determination of the structural parameters of polydisperse particles of typical magnetic fluids (MFs) from small-angle neutron scattering data (SANS), including the possible anisotropy of the particle shape and the residual incoherent background, are analyzed. It is shown that the effect of particle anisotropy on scattering must be considered in combination with the influence of their polydispersity. The relative shift in the MF’s structural parameters caused by particle anisotropy does not exceed 10–20% for particles with an anisotropy parameter which is less than four and becomes insignificant for more anisotropic particles. The main effect of the residual incoherent background of neutron scattering is related to determination of the thickness of the stabilizing shell and the generalized contrast parameter. It is shown that restrictions on the available maximum values of the scattering vector, measured in the experiment, lead to a relative shift in these parameters by up to 10%, while the other structural parameters (the average particle radius and the width of the size distribution) are determined with sufficiently high accuracy (the relative systematic error is 5% or less).     

Ultimate degree of residual polarization of incoherently backscattered light for multiple scattering of linearly polarized light

By invoking ideas about the distribution of the optical paths of partial components of the scattered field, we obtain an expression for estimating the degree of residual polarization of light that is incoherently backscattered from a disordered multiply scattering semi-infinite medium illuminated by linearly polarized light. In the backscattering regime, the depolarization length of the linearly polarized light in the disordered medium becomes smaller with the passage from the isotropic to anisotropic scattering. Experiments with model media featuring substantially anisotropic scattering (the anisotropy parameter of 0.90 ≤ g ≤ 0.95) demonstrated that for backscattering of linearly polarized light, the depolarization length is close to the transport length of the scattering medium.     

Statistics of particle pair relative velocity in the homogeneous shear flow

Small scale clustering of inertial particles and relative velocity of particle pairs have been fully characterized for statistically steady homogeneous isotropic flows. Depending on the particle Stokes relaxation time, the spatial distribution of the disperse phase results in a multi-scale manifold characterized by local particle concentration and voids and, because of finite inertia, the two nearby particles have high probability to exhibit large relative velocities. Both effects might explain the speed-up of particle collision rate in turbulent flows. Recently it has been shown that the large scale geometry of the flow plays a crucial role in organizing small scale particle clusters. For instance, a mean shear preferentially orients particle patterns. In this case, depending on the Stokes time, anisotropic clustering may occur even in the inertial range of scales where the turbulent fluctuations which drive the particles have already recovered isotropy. Here we consider the statistics of particle pair relative velocity in the homogeneous shear flow, the prototypical flow which manifests anisotropic clustering at small scales. We show that the mean shear, by imprinting anisotropy on the large scale velocity fluctuations, dramatically affects the particle relative velocity distribution even in the range of small scales where the anisotropic mechanisms of turbulent kinetic energy production are sub-dominant with respect to the inertial energy transfer which drives the carrier fluid velocity towards isotropy. We find that the particles’ populations which manifest strong anisotropy in their relative velocities are the same which exhibit small scale clustering. In contrast to any Kolmogorov-like picture of turbulent transport these phenomena may persist even below the smallest dissipative scales where the residual level of anisotropy may eventually blow-up. The observed anisotropy of particle relative velocity and spatial configuration is suggested to influence the directionality of the collision probability, as inferred on the basis of the so-called “ghost collision” model.     

Anisotropy and interference in wave transport: an analytic theory

A theory is presented which incorporates the effect of dielectric anisotropy in random multiple scattering media. It predicts anisotropic diffusion, and a deflection of the diffuse energy flow in anisotropic slabs in the direction parallel to the slab. The transmittance integrated over all incoming and outgoing directions scales with the transport mean free path along the surface normal. The escape function in anisotropic dielectrics is no longer bell shaped. In this model anisotropy facilitates Anderson localization.     

Anisotropic local-field effects of nanoparticles in plasmonic optics and magneto-optics

A theory of anisotropic optical local-field effects caused by resonantly polarizable small particles in multilayer polarizable media is developed. Considered is the model of a rectangular lattice of ellipsoidal nanoparticles with taking account of “image forces” at an interface in a layered medium. The lattice sums for anisotropic dipolar interactions are found using the Green’s function method in the quasi-point dipole approximation, and the effective polarizabilities of particles in a layer located near an interface are calculated self-consistently. The manifestation of an anisotropic local field of nanoparticles in optical radiation and propagation of evanescent waves responsible for optical near-field effects is investigated. Applications of the obtained results in the polar magneto-optical Kerr effect and reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy in propagating the polarized light along the normal to layers are considered. The resonant features in the spectra due to enhancement of the optical effects under excitation of surface (local) plasmons in nanoparticles of a noble metal are studied.     

Soliton transverse instabilities in anisotropic nonlocal self-focusing media

We study, both numerically and experimentally, the transverse modulational instability of spatial stripe solitons in anisotropic nonlocal photorefractive media. We demonstrate that the instability scenarios depend strongly on the stripe orientation, but the anisotropy-induced features are largely suppressed for spatial solitons created by self-trapping of partially incoherent light.     

Intermediate and Bragg acousto-optic interaction in elastically anisotropic medium

The Raman-Nath, intermediate and Bragg regimes of acousto-optic interaction in an acoustically anisotropic medium are theoretically examined in the paper. The general model of the interaction is extended over the case of an elastically anisotropic medium. Basic results of computer modeling of diffraction processes taking place in crystals are presented in the paper. The interaction of light and ultrasound is investigated in media with arbitrary elastic anisotropy in a wide range of the Klein-Cook and Raman-Nath parameters. The influence of the acoustic anisotropy on the process of light diffraction, especially on the light intensity in diffraction maxima, is also discussed.     

Bi2Te3: implications of the rhombohedral k-space texture on the evaluation of the in-plane/out-of-plane conductivity anisotropy

Different computational scheme for calculating surface integrals in anisotropic Brillouin zones are compared. An example of the transport distribution function (plasma frequency) of the thermoelectric material Bi(2)Te(3) near the band edges is discussed. The layered structure of the material together with the rhombohedral symmetry causes a strong anisotropy of the transport distribution function for the directions in the basal plane (in-plane) and perpendicular to the basal plane (out-of-plane). It is shown that a thorough reciprocal space integration is necessary to reproduce the in-plane/out-of-plane anisotropy. A quantitative comparison can be made at the band edges, where the transport anisotropy is given in terms of the anisotropic mass tensor.     

Polarization properties of light multiply scattered by non-spherical Rayleigh particles

Multiple scattering of incoherent polarized light propagating through a random medium comprised of spheroidal Rayleigh particles is studied using Monte Carlo simulations. Two approaches are taken for the implementation of the simulation: the first uses individual realizations of particle orientation and the second, an accelerated method, averages over the particle orientation. These different methods produce results that are indistinguishable within statistical errors. The depolarization of light is examined in both transmission and backscatter for media comprised of spheroids of different polarizability ratios. In media containing spheroidal particles the depolarization is greater than that for spherical particles. Media containing prolate spheroids are more depolarizing than media comprising oblate particles of the same polarizability ratio. The extra depolarization due to asphericity is much less pronounced in the multiple scattering regime than for single scattering.     

Anisotropy induced in a silver-chloride emulsion by two incoherent and perpendicular light vibrations

After a report on the composition of two incoherent rectilinear vibrations with perpendicular polarizations, we suggest in this paper a method of extraction of the difference between two images in incoherent and polarized light. The images, perpendicularly polarized, are simultaneously recorded on a silver chloride emulsion H where an optical anisotropy is induced only in the areas where the incident intensity distributions are not identical. After exposure, H, observed between crossed polarizers, displays the difference between the two original images in its image plane. In addition, it is shown that the sign of this difference is retrieved by means of the dichroism of the plate.     

Polarization properties of light multiply scattered by non-spherical Rayleigh particles

Abstract

Multiple scattering of incoherent polarized light propagating through a random medium comprised of spheroidal Rayleigh particles is studied using Monte Carlo simulations. Two approaches are taken for the implementation of the simulation: the first uses individual realizations of particle orientation and the second, an accelerated method, averages over the particle orientation. These different methods produce results that are indistinguishable within statistical errors. The depolarization of light is examined in both transmission and backscatter for media comprised of spheroids of different polarizability ratios. In media containing spheroidal particles the depolarization is greater than that for spherical particles. Media containing prolate spheroids are more depolarizing than media comprising oblate particles of the same polarizability ratio. The extra depolarization due to asphericity is much less pronounced in the multiple scattering regime than for single scattering.     

Acoustic wavefront imaging

We introduce a new class of experiments which provide graphic insights into the propagation of acoustic waves in anisotropic media. Simply stated, we have devised a means of observing the expanding acoustic wavefront from a point disturbance in a solid. The data may be viewed as a movie or a series of snapshots. The observed wavefronts represent the group-velocity surfaces of acoustic waves, which reflect the basic elastic anisotropy of the solid. The technique has been applied to coherent acoustic waves with frequencies in the megahertz range (at ambient temperatures) and to incoherent heat pulses in the hundred-gigahertz range (at liquid-helium temperatures). In this article, we first provide a pedagogical introduction to wave propagation in elastically anisotropic media, reviewing some early methods for visualizing acoustic waves. Next, we describe the “acoustic wavefront imaging” method and give representative results in crystals and composite materials. Finally, we show how this method relates to recent advances in phonon imaging and internal diffraction of ultrasound.     

Thermal shield effect with uniaxial crystals

A model describing radiative transfers inside uniaxial anisotropic media is presented. The transport equations for each electromagnetic mode supported by these media are derived in the limit of geometrical optics and an analytical solution is obtained from a ray tracing method. The temperature field inside such a medium illuminated on both sides by a blackbody radiation is calculated and compared to the temperature field of an isotropic medium submitted to the same conditions. We show that the temperature field in the anisotropic medium is drastically smaller than its counterpart, even for weak anisotropy.     

Solid-liquid transition induced by the anisotropic diffusion of colloidal particles

We numerically study the phase behaviors of colloids with anisotropic diffusion in two dimensions. It is found that the diffusion anisotropy of colloidal particles plays an important role in the phase transitions. A strong diffusion anisotropy induces the large vibration of particles, subsequently, the system goes into a disordered state. In the presence of the strong-coupling, particles with weak diffusion anisotropy can freeze into hexagonal crystals. Thus, there exists a solid-liquid transition. With the degree of diffusion anisotropy increasing, the transition points are shifted to the stronger-coupled region. A competition between the degree of diffusion anisotropy and coupling strength widens the transition region where the heterogeneous structures coexist, which results in a broad-peak probability distribution curve for the local order parameter. Our study may be helpful for the experiments related to the phase behavior in statistical physics, materials science and biophysical systems.     

An algorithm for solving the optical problem for stratified anisotropic media

An algorithm for solving the Maxwell equations for propagation of light through anisotropic stratified media is considered. The algorithm uses the Berreman matrices of order 4 × 4. In contrast to the numerical methods suggested by Berreman, the new method is exact. The Sylvester theorem for calculating functions of a matrix and the Laguerre method for determining eigenvalues provide the basis for an algorithm with an efficiency comparable to that of the algorithms based on analytic solutions, which exist only in the case of uniaxial media. The method suggested in this paper allows for the analysis of complex optical systems where the effects of biaxiality, magnetic anisotropy, and optical activity play an important role.     

Coherent and incoherent second harmonic generation in planar G-shaped nanostructures

Azimuthal anisotropy of Stokes parameters of the second harmonic generation (SHG) generated and observed in reflection from a periodic planar area of G-shaped gold nanostructures is studied. A strong anisotropy of both coherent and incoherent SHG components is observed. Finite-difference time-domain calculations prove that the observed effects are due to the anisotropic enhancement of the fundamental radiation within the G-shaped structures.     

Sunlight scattering intensity fluctuations from asymmetric particles

We propose to use the sun as a bright incoherent light source to probe the rotational diffusion of asymmetric particles. Lateral (spatial) coherence of the sun can be adjusted by proper optics to be shorter than the interparticle distance. In contrast to laser light scattering, where translational diffusion contribution dominates the scattering fluctuations, this method may probe directly into the time course of particles rotation and internal motion.     

Particle nature of light waves in dielectric media

Wave-particle duality is a foundation for modern science. The speed of light waves in dielectric media is less than c. The corresponding particles thus have mass. Combining wave-particle duality with the theory of relativity, an exactly solvable problem was proposed, concerning the transition from photons in vacuum to particles in dielectric media. The rest mass, the momentum, and the total energy of material particles are shown to be the functions of the refractive index of the medium and the wavelength of the incident light. The proposed relationships were applied to study the wavelength-dependent index of refraction of dielectrics and the correlation of the refractive indices of anisotropic crystals, which were confirmed by the experimental results. Variation of the refractive index with wavelength is found to obey the proposed relation. The refractive indices of anisotropic crystals are shown to be the correlated quantities.     

Collision-induced light scattering spectra of mercury vapour at different temperatures

The two-body isotropic and anisotropic collision-induced light scattering spectra of mercury vapour at different temperatures are analysed in terms of new interatomic potential and interaction-induced pair-polarisability trace and anisotropy models, using quantum line-shape computations. The quality of the present potential has been checked by comparing between calculated and experimental spectroscopic, thermo-physical and transport properties over a wide temperature range, which are found to be in good agreement. Also, the comparison of the computed spectra with a measurement at different temperatures permits improvements on the existing trace and anisotropy models of the pair polarisability.     

Transverse electromagnetic modes in aperture waveguides containing a metamaterial with extreme anisotropy

We use metamaterials with extreme anisotropy to solve the fundamental problem of light transport in deep subwavelength apertures. By filling a simply connected aperture with an anisotropic medium, we decouple the cutoff frequency and the group velocity of modes inside apertures. In the limit of extreme anisotropy, all modes become purely transverse electromagnetic modes, free from geometrical dispersion, propagate with a velocity controlled by the transverse permittivity and permeability, and have zero cutoff frequency. We analyze physically realizable cases for a circular aperture and show a metamaterial design using existing materials.