Polarization-based range-gated imaging in birefringent medium:Effect of size parameter

We have investigated the effect of size parameter of the scatterer on the image quality obtained with polarization-based range-gated imaging in birefringent turbid medium. Both linearly and circularly polarized light were utilized for imaging.The simulated results indicate that the improvement of visibility is more pronounced using circularly polarized light for the birefringent medium composed of smaller-sized scatterers at lower values of optical thickness and the birefringent medium comprising larger-sized scatterers. In contrast, linearly polarized light provides better image quality for the birefringent medium composed of smaller-sized scatterers at larger values of optical thickness. The evolution of the polarization characteristics of backscattered light and target light under the conditions mentioned above was measured to account for these numerical results.     

不同波长的散射介质后向散射光偏振度特性

基于Stockes矢量,通过测量以线偏振光和圆偏振光入射时脂肪乳剂后向散射光的偏振度,研究了532nm、650nm和780nm三个波长的光与散射粒子粒径为325nm的脂肪乳剂溶液作用后,其后向散射光的偏振度特性.研究结果表明,对于入射线偏振光,780nm波长后向散射光中的线偏振光成分多于圆偏振光成分,而532nm波长则相反;对于入射圆偏振光,三个波长后向散射光中的圆偏振光成分均多于线偏振光成分;532nm波长的总偏振度高于650nm和780nm两个波长各自的总偏振度;线偏振光的保偏性优于圆偏振光的保偏性,但偏振光在散射介质中的穿透深度较小.因此,后向散射成像技术适用于物体表层成像,而且选择波长略大于粒径的线偏振光可以提高成像质量.     

不同波长的散射介质后向散射光偏振度特性

基于Stockes矢量,通过测量以线偏振光和圆偏振光入射时脂肪乳剂后向散射光的偏振度,研究了532 nm、650 nm和780 nm三个波长的光与散射粒子粒径为325 nm的脂肪乳剂溶液作用后,其后向散射光的偏振度特性.研究结果表明,对于入射线偏振光,780 nm波长后向散射光中的线偏振光成分多于圆偏振光成分,而532 nm波长则相反;对于入射圆偏振光,三个波长后向散射光中的圆偏振光成分均多于线偏振光成分;532 nm波长的总偏振度高于650 nm和780 nm两个波长各自的总偏振度;线偏振光的保偏性优于圆偏振光的保偏性,但偏振光在散射介质中的穿透深度较小.因此,后向散射成像技术适用于物体表层成像,而且选择波长略大于粒径的线偏振光可以提高成像质量.     

Backscattering of linearly and circularly polarized light in randomly inhomogeneous media

The scattering of linearly or circularly polarized light from a semibounded randomly inhomogeneous medium is considered. A new technique for simulating the electromagnetic radiation transport using the Monte Carlo method is proposed, which makes it possible to avoid cumbersome calculation of Muller matrices. Expressions are obtained for the co- and cross-polarized components of backscattered light for incident light of arbitrary polarization. The coherent and incoherent backscattering components are calculated for arbitrary combinations of incident and scattered light polarizations. It is shown that the main contribution to coherent backscattering is from the co- and cross-polarized components for linearly and circularly polarized light, respectively. The backscattering from an optically active random medium is calculated.     

Multiple scattering of polarized light in a turbid medium

It is shown that multiple scattering of polarized light in a turbid medium can be represented as independent propagation of three basic modes: intensity and linearly and circularly polarized modes. Weak interaction between the basic modes can be described by perturbation theory and gives rise to “overtones” (additional polarization modes). Transport equations for the basic and additional modes are derived from a vector radiative transfer equation. Analytical solutions to these equations are found in the practically important cases of diffusive light propagation and small-angle multiple scattering. The results obtained are in good agreement with experimental and numerical results and provide an explanation for the experimentally observed difference in depolarization between linearly and circularly polarized waves.     

生物组织多光谱偏振特性研究

生物组织内部结构复杂且具有较强的散射特性,而光作为生物组织检测的重要信息载体,其自身特性包括颜色、幅值、偏振等都对信息获取有较大的影响.结合偏振成像,对生物组织多光谱偏振特性展开了研究,依据不同微粒尺寸的分布建立了均匀单层生物组织模型,结合瑞利和米氏散射理论模拟了基于单个微粒的两种散射事件.瑞利散射具有较好的前向后向散...     

油雾扩散过程中浓度对偏振激光传输特性的影响

针对大气环境中粒子浓度对激光传输过程的影响问题,以油雾粒子为研究对象,利用油雾粒子在扩散过程中产生的非均匀环境,进行了偏振激光传输的半实物仿真实验。实验采用532 nm激光器,分别研究了水平线偏振光、45°线偏振光以及左旋圆偏振光在油雾扩散过程中偏振态的变化情况。利用粒度仪对扩散环境进行了量化标定。实验结果表明:在油雾扩散过程中,浓度越高,偏振度变化的随机性越大,圆偏振光的保偏性优于线偏振光。在相同浓度下,0°线偏振光对偏振态的保持性要优于45°线偏振光。在浓度极高的情况下,体积浓度为2 mg/L及其以上时,线偏振光与圆偏振光的保持性趋向一致。     

Backscattering target detection in a turbid medium by use of circularly and linearly polarized light

The polarization properties of the backscattered light from a turbid medium containing large-diameter (10.143-microm) and small-diameter (0.202-microm) spherical polystyrene particles are studied. It is shown that the difference in the polarization properties of the emerging light that originates at the target and that is backscattered from the medium allows for improvement of image contrast by use of polarized light. Based on the images obtained by the CCD camera, the polarization memory effect with circularly polarized light is demonstrated to have an advantage over the linear polarization technique in imaging a highly reflective target inside a turbid medium containing large particles.     

偏振门用于对散射介质成像的蒙特卡罗模拟研究

通过蒙特卡罗模拟研究偏振光在散射介质中的传播,对通过散射介质的偏振光的强度分布进行模拟,分析了偏振门和空间滤波对成像的影响.模拟结果表明,对于Rayleigh散射体,偏振门与空间滤波可以减小散射光的影响,提高图像对比度,圆偏振光入射比线偏振光具有更高的对比度.对于Mie散射粒子,偏振门的作用有限,不同偏振光的结果差别不大.对双组分的散射介质也进行了模拟,偏振门在这种体系中仍能提高图像对比度.     

椭球粒子烟雾浓度对激光偏振度影响的实验研究

以斯托克斯矢量理论为基础,通过搭建偏振传输半实物模拟装置进行模拟实验,观测激光在模拟环境(不同浓度的椭球粒子在非均匀分布状态)下偏振度(degree of polarization, DOP)的变化。实验选取灵芝孢子碳化粉末作为椭球粒子的实验对象,通过烟雾机将椭球粒子形成不同浓度的烟雾,研究入射波长为532 nm、671 nm的激光在0°、+45°、90°的线偏振光以及左旋圆偏振光经过模拟环境后偏振度(DOP)的变化情况。实验结果表明:入射偏振光随着烟雾浓度的增大,偏振度呈下降趋势;3种入射线偏振光随浓度增大降幅不尽相同,没有明显的规律可循;不同波长低浓度烟雾时,线偏振光与圆偏振光的偏振度下降幅度大抵相同,大约为3%左右;随着烟雾浓度的增大,线偏振光的偏振度表现出不同程度的下降,可达20%,圆偏振光的偏振度仅下降5%,表现出了较好的保偏能力。     

Backscattered polarization patterns, optical vortices, and the angular momentum of light

We demonstrate that the polarization patterns observed in backscattering of linearly polarized light are a manifestation of the conservation of angular momentum of light. We will show that this phenomenon can be described in terms of phase vortices that are acquired by the right and left circularly polarized components. The helicity and orbital angular momentum of these components satisfy the requirement for conservation of angular momentum.     

Interaction of ultrashort elliptically polarized laser pulses with nonlinear helical photonic metamaterial

The effect of nonlinear properties of a material with a periodic structural cell (three-dimensional spiral) on the specificity of transmission and reflection of elliptically polarized laser pulses normally incident on the metamaterial is studied using the finite-difference time-domain method. An analysis of the hodograph of electric-field strength vector showed that an increase in the peak intensity of a linearly polarized laser pulse incident on a sample leads to an increase in the orthogonal component of the electric-field strength vector in the pulse transmitted through the medium. When pulses containing few electric-field periods are incident on a metamaterial, the latter demonstrates radically different optical properties for right- and left-handed circularly polarized light passing through the medium. It was shown that an increase in the intensity of a right-handed (left-handed) circularly polarized ultrashort pulse, incident on a sample composed of a rather large number of right-handed (left-handed) spirals made of nonlinearmaterial, widens the frequency range within which the incident light is almost entirely reflected from the medium.     

混浊介质中线偏振光和圆偏振光的后向漫散射特征

以标准的组织模型Intralipid脂肪乳溶液为研究对象,采用CCD偏振成像系统,通过测量该混浊介质的后向漫散射光的斯托克斯矢量,深入研究了不同方位的线偏振光及不同旋向的圆偏振光入射时,后向漫散射光的特征.研究结果表明：对不同的入射偏振态,后向漫散射强度、偏振度的空间分布具有方位选择性,强度和偏振度的大小随距离入射点的距离增加而减小;介质浓度增加,后向散射强度增加,偏振度减小,且同一浓度下,圆偏振光的偏振度总是高于线偏振光.     

Spectrum of secondary electrons emitted during the nuclear β<Superscript>–</Superscript>-decay of the tritium atom

The depolarization of multiply scattered light in a disordered system of resonant dielectric Mie particles is studied. It is shown that the depolarization length of circularly polarized light under the first Kerker condition can be more than an order of magnitude larger than the transport length. Such a slow decay of circular polarization in a multiply scattering medium results in the enhancement of mesoscopic fluctuations of the transmission coefficient. The wavelength dependence of the variance of the transmission coefficient near the first Kerker point has a quasiresonant character. It is demonstrated that the second Kerker condition under which the forward scattering vanishes is satisfied with an increase in the refractive index. The depolarization lengths of circularly and linearly polarized light calculated for this case are minimal and almost coincide with the mean free path.     

混浊介质二维后向漫散射穆勒矩阵的测量

研制了一套实验系统用于测量混浊介质的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵.在系统中,激光被调制成所需偏振态,聚焦于混浊介质表面.利用CCD相机配合相应的偏振元件,测量入射点周围区域的后向散射光中特定偏振态的能量空间分布,并由测量值计算出介质的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵.描述了系统的组成、测量原理以及方法,分别测量了消偏振分光棱镜的反射穆勒矩阵和浓度1.5％的脂肪乳溶液的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵.实验证明:该系统能够完全消除样品表面镜面反射光的干扰,精确的测量混浊介质的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵;并可望用于生物组织的研究中.     

Circularly polarized localized near-field radiation at the nanoscale

Diffraction-limited circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation has been widely used in the literature for various applications at both optical and microwave frequencies. With advances in nanotechnology, emerging plasmonic nano-optical applications, such as all-optical magnetic recording, require circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation beyond the diffraction limit. In this study, a plasmonic cross-dipole nano-antenna is investigated to obtain a circularly polarized near-field optical spot with a size smaller than the diffraction limit of light. A cross-dipole nano-antenna is composed of four metallic nano-rods placed at a perpendicular orientation with respect to each other. The performance of the nano-antenna is investigated through numerical simulations. In the first part of this study, the nano-antenna is illuminated with a diffraction-limited circularly polarized radiation. An optimal antenna geometry is specified to obtain an intense optical spot that satisfies two necessary conditions for circular polarization: a phase difference of 90° and a unit amplitude ratio between the electric field components in the vicinity of the antenna gap. In the second part of this study, the nano-antenna is illuminated with diffraction-limited linearly polarized radiation. It is shown that the phase difference between the electric field components can be adjusted by selecting either different antenna lengths or different gap distances in the vertical and horizontal directions. Due to the relatively short wavelength of surface plasma waves on the antenna, it is demonstrated that the phase difference can be sufficient to obtain circularly polarized light. An optimal physical configuration for the nano-antenna and the polarization angle of the incident light is identified to obtain a circularly polarized optical spot beyond the diffraction limit from diffraction-limited linearly polarized radiation.     

Depth-resolved fluorescence measurement in a layered turbid medium by polarized fluorescence spectroscopy

We show that, when a turbid medium with a layered fluorophore distribution is excited by linearly polarized light, measurement of angle-resolved polarized fluorescence can provide depth-resolved fluorescence measurements.     

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.     

Polarization characteristics of backscattering of turbid media based on Mueller matrix

Mueller matrix is one approach to characterizing optical polarization of the turbid media. We have simulated the two-dimensional images of Mueller matrix based on single-scattering approximation model and implemented experiments to verify the simulations. By comparing the experimental results to the theoretical simulations, we have obtained some conclusions. When the particle size is smaller than the wavelength, the linearly polarized light propagating through the turbid media of Rayleigh scatterers has better polarization-maintaining ability. Whereas when the particle size is larger than the wavelength, the circularly polarized light propagating through the turbid media of Mie scatterers has better polarization-maintaining ability. Moreover, the radial dependence of the element patterns becomes weak as the transport mean free path decreases. This study can help us understand to the fundamental principle of optical polarization.     

Study on the rewritability of bisazobenzene-containing films in optical storage based on two-photon process

In this paper, we use a two-photon technique to record data points on bisazobenzene-containing films. The recording data points are evidently polarization dependent. It is found that the recording data points can be erased by the linearly polarized light whose polarization direction is perpendicular to that of the recording beam and then, in the same region, new data can be rewritten after erasing. In addition, the recorded data can also be erased completely by the circularly polarized light. Compared with linearly polarized beam, the circularly polarized light is a better choice for erasure as no main orientation is regained after erasing rather than reorientation.