Light transmission in inhomogeneous birefringent medium as a function of propagation and observation angles

We use the Mueller matrix for inhomogeneous linear birefringent media derived in Savenkov et al. [Mueller-matrix model of an inhomogeneous linear birefringent medium: single scattering case. JQSRT 2007;106:475–86] to generate new results on the forward scattering of light using Cloude's coherence matrix method. We show that the intensity of scattered light (m₁₁) as a function of observation angle depends on the difference between refractive indices along the eigen polarizations resulting in intensity lost when unpolarized light propagates parallel to the optical axes compared to propagation orthogonal to the optical axis. For a given inhomogeneity (roughness), depolarization strongly depends on the direction of light propagation in the medium. The depolarization at 90° propagation angle is minimal for any value of inhomogeneity. Sample calculations are based on calcite.     

Numerical study of the characterization of forward scattering Mueller matrix patterns of turbid media with triple forward scattering assumption

We propose a triple forward scattering model to numerically investigate the forward scattering Mueller matrix of a turbid medium. The calculated results show that the Mueller matrix based on the triple scattering model can completely describe the basic symmetries and azimuthal structures of the forward scattering Mueller matrix of a turbid medium. The results show that the forward scattering Mueller matrix is characterized with special symmetric structure compared with backscattering Mueller matrix patterns. The method will extend the investigation to light scattering mechanism from cells and to diagnosis of diabetes and other blood related diseases.     

Polarimetric characterization of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for bone substitute biomaterials

In this work the UHMWPE is characterized for their optical properties with Mueller matrix polarimeter. The transmittance birefringence, retardance, polarizance, linear and circular polarization and absorbance of polarized light at different wavelengths ranging 400-800 nm are measured. The presented Mueller matrix elements along with depth resolve polarization decrease in intensity with the change in the wavelength. Linear retardance increases compared to circular through highly scattering polyethylene. High refractive index and low mean free path; and close bonding of particles of material rotates the incoming photons and circular polarization which is dominant as compared to the linear one. Therefore the average intensity increases with both the optical depth and the scattered concentration in UHMWPE, which would accordingly decrease the apparent degree of polarization.The extracted results in terms of linear and circular retardances prove that UHMWPE is compatible, strong, and compact. This research work provides an optical characterization technique for bone substitute biomaterial in the health care industry.     

Measurements of structure-induced polarization features in forward scattering from collections of cylindrical fibers

Many applications in remote sensing, material sciences and biomedical field are characterized by a transition domain between single scattering and multiple-scattering regimes. This regime is described by typical polarization features which can be used to retrieve structural information. An electronically agile technique was used for measuring in real time the Stokes vectors of light incident on and emerging from an inhomogeneous medium. Subsequently, the Mueller matrix associated with the scattering medium is determined. We focus our attention on forward scattering from systems consisting of random as well as partially oriented long cylindrical fibers. We discuss the effects of: (1) shape of individual scattering centers, (2) structure parameter, and (3) optical density of the scattering medium. The anisotropic behavior of the structure function at different packing fractions determines nontrivial characteristics of the polarization transfer. The complex effective index of refraction can be polarization dependent as a result of the optical anisotropy due to both the shape of the individual scatterers and the structure characteristics of the scattering system. Some of the Mueller matrix elements are shown to be related to the optical anisotropy of the system for the case of long cylindrical fibers. The polarization efficiency, the structure parameter, and the packing fraction are used to quantify this relationship. We also found that some of the matrix elements are more sensitive to the degree of structural anisotropy and the packing fraction, while other elements are sensitive to structural non-uniformities across the investigated area.     

Influence of the order of the constituent basis matrices on the Mueller matrix decomposition-derived polarization parameters in complex turbid media such as biological tissues

The influence of the multiplication order of the constituent basis matrices on the Mueller matrix decomposition-derived polarization parameters in complex tissue-like turbid media exhibiting simultaneous scattering and polarization effects are investigated. A polarization sensitive Monte Carlo (MC) simulation model was used to generate Mueller matrices from turbid media exhibiting simultaneous linear birefringence, optical activity and multiple scattering effects. Mueller matrix decomposition was performed with different selected multiplication orders of the constituent basis matrices, which were further analyzed to derive quantitative individual polarization medium properties. The results show that for turbid medium having weak diattenuation (differential attenuation of two orthogonal polarization states), the decomposition-derived polarization parameters are independent of the multiplication order. Importantly, the values for the extracted polarization parameters were found to be in excellent agreement with the controlled inputs, showing self-consistency in inverse decomposition analysis and successful decoupling of the individual polarization effects. These results were corroborated further by selected experimental results from phantoms having optical (scattering and polarization) properties similar to those used in the MC model. Results from tissue polarimetry confirm that the magnitude of diattenuation is generally lower compared to other polarization effects, so that the demonstrated self-consistency of the decomposition formalism with respect to the potential ambiguity of ordering of the constituent matrices should hold in biological applications.     

Iterative approach of high-order scattering solution for vector radiative transfer of inhomogeneous random media

By stratifying a random scatter media into multiple thin layers in the vertical z direction, the first-order scattering solution of each thin layer is employed to derive high-order scattering solution of whole random media. Using the Fourier transform and Mueller matrices in discrete ordinates, an iterative approach to solve high-order scattering solution of vector radiative transfer (VRT) equation is newly developed. Numerical results are well compared with the Mueller matrix solutions of the first order for a single layer medium, second order for a half-space, and the results of the discrete ordinate and eigen analysis method. It demonstrates our approach as feasible, effective and especially applicable to high-order solution of VRT for both bistatic scattering and thermal emission of inhomogeneous non-spherical scatter media.     

Two-dimensional depth-resolved Mueller matrix of biological tissue measured with double-beam polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

A double-beam polarization-sensitive system based on optical coherence tomography was built to measure the Mueller matrix of scattering biological tissue with high spatial resolution. The Jones matrix of a sample can be determined with a single scan and subsequently converted into an equivalent nondepolarizing Mueller matrix. As a result, the system can be used to measure the Mueller matrix of an unstable sample, such as soft tissue. The polarization parameters of a porcine tendon, including magnitude and orientation of birefringence and diattenuation, were extracted by decomposition of the measured Mueller matrix.     

非均匀散射层矢量辐射传输(VRT)方程高阶散射解的迭代法

将散射介质层在z轴方向划分成薄层，用薄层的一阶散射强度、Fourier变换和迭代方法求解散射介质整层的矢量辐射传输(VRT)方程的高阶散射解.该方法将一阶散射与高阶散射迭代结合起来，计算公式简明，可计算高阶迭代解，计算时间少.计算结果与一层均匀散射介质的VRT方程一阶Mueller矩阵解、半空间均匀散射介质二阶Mueller矩阵解、以及离散坐标-特征值特征矢量法的VRT热辐射的数值解作了全面的比较.提出并讨论了非均匀散射层主动与被动VRT方程的高阶解.本计算程序可以通用于非球形粒子多层结构及非均匀介质的散射和热辐射计算. 关键词： VRT方程 分层 迭代解     

Role of spatial coherence in polarization tomography

We analyze an experimental setup in which a quasi-monochromatic spatially coherent beam of light is used to probe a paraxial optical scatterer. We discuss the effect of the spatial coherence of the probe beam on the Mueller matrix representing the scatterer. We show that, according to the degree of spatial coherence of the beam, the same scattering medium can be represented by different Mueller matrices. This result should serve as a warning for experimentalists.     

随机介质背散射二维Mueller矩阵的数值模拟与分析

推导了随机介质背散射Mueller矩阵的直接计算公式,并运用矢量Monte Carlo方法进行了数值模拟.结果表明随机介质背散射二维Mueller矩阵方位关系随散射系数的减小而增强,而与微粒大小关系不大;Mueller矩阵元素绝对值的空间分布随径向呈近似指数规律衰减,矩阵元素的方位变化具有周期性.对称系统的二维Mueller矩阵的花样图中仅有7幅独立,其余9幅可通过对称、旋转变换得到.     

Coupling effects between dichroism and birefringence of anisotropic media

The basic polarization properties of media are their dichroism and birefringence. In this work we report the possible consequences of the coupling effects between dichroism and birefringence of anisotropic media. Our analysis is based on a solution of the differential equation of the Stokes four-dimensional vector. It is shown that there exist three types of coupling effects between the components of the dichroism vector and birefringence vector of the medium. The conditions under which the polarization properties of a continuous medium can be calculated are identified. These results are helpful for any study involved an interpretation of the measured Mueller matrix of continuous anisotropic medium.     

Characteristic properties of the conical Mueller matrix

We present results of mathematical relations existing between the Mueller matrix obtained for an in-plane of incidence scattering geometry (plane Mueller matrix, PMM) and the Mueller matrix obtained for an out-the-plane of incidence scattering geometry (conical Mueller matrix, CMM), for light scattered from a rough surface. We obtain a similarity relation between the CMM and the PMM for one- (1-D) and for two-dimensional (2-D) surfaces. This similarity relation implies that the PMM and the CMM have the same determinant, trace and eigenvalues for 1-D and 2-D surfaces, respectively. We can say that measurements made in the conical geometry are “Similarity Equivalent” to those in the in-plane geometry for both kind of surfaces, respectively.     

Imaging and multiple scattering through media containing optically active particles

Abstract

This paper examines the behaviour of polarized light scattered by a medium containing small chiral spheroidal particles. We show that for single scattering the observed phenomena of optical activity may be interpreted in terms of an averaged Mueller matrix and describe how the degree of polarization is affected by such a medium. The polarization properties of multiply scattered light by chiral particles are considered through the use of Monte Carlo simulations. It is shown that the effects of chirality under multiple scattering can be interpreted as an order-preserving influence in a disordered system and that this influence can, in principle, be exploited for the purposes of imaging.     

Measurements of diffuse backscattering Mueller matrices of turbid media

We report on the development of a method that records spatially dependent intensity patterns of polarized light that arise from illuminating a turbid media with a polarized laser beam and being diffusely backscattered. Our technique employs polarized light from a He-Ne laser () which is focused onto the surface of the scattering medium. A surface area of approximately 2×2 cm centered on the light input point is imaged through polarization analysis optics onto a CCD camera. The Mueller matrix is reconstructed by 49 intensity measurements with various orientations of polarizer and analyzer. The measured Mueller matrix of polystyrene spheres was compared with the theory result of incoherent scattering of light by spheres. The experimental and theory results are in excellent agreement. It appears that the azimuthal patterns of the Mueller matrix are determined by the symmetry of the turbid media.     

非均匀随机散射介质层的多次散射和热辐射的分层迭代解

为纳入矢量辐射传输方程的多次散射，将非均匀平行分层分布的随机散射介质划分成多个薄 层，利用各薄层的低阶Mueller矩阵解推导出整层的高阶散射迭代解.用这一方法计算了具有 占空比、粒子大小和温度廓线非均匀分布的平行分层随机密集球形粒子积雪层的极化热辐射 .数值结果与一层均匀随机散射层的离散坐标-特征值方法作了比较，讨论了多次散射和热辐 射与散射层各特征参数的关系，与积雪层微波遥感数据进行了对比. 关键词： VRT方程 平行分层 高阶散射解 迭代解     

Mueller matrices in fluorescence scattering

A reappraisal of the 1929 analysis of luminescence by Soleillet reveals the form of the Mueller matrix for fluorescence scattering whose parameters are directly defined in terms of the now-familiar fluorescence anisotropy parameter. If the scattering analyte is optically active, it is further shown how fluorescence detected circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence can be recovered, simultaneously and free of artifacts.     

Imaging and multiple scattering through media containing optically active particles

This paper examines the behaviour of polarized light scattered by a medium containing small chiral spheroidal particles. We show that for single scattering the observed phenomena of optical activity may be interpreted in terms of an averaged Mueller matrix and describe how the degree of polarization is affected by such a medium. The polarization properties of multiply scattered light by chiral particles are considered through the use of Monte Carlo simulations. It is shown that the effects of chirality under multiple scattering can be interpreted as an order-preserving influence in a disordered system and that this influence can, in principle, be exploited for the purposes of imaging.     

Scattering and emission from inhomogeneous vegetation canopy and alien target beneath by using three-dimensional vector radiative transfer (3D-VRT) equation

To solve the 3D-VRT equation for the model of spatially inhomogeneous scatter media, the finite enclosure of the scatter media is geometrically divided, in both vertical z and transversal (x,y) directions, to form very thin multi-boxes. The zeroth order emission, first-order Mueller matrix of each thin box and an iterative approach of high-order radiative transfer are applied to derive high-order scattering and emission of whole inhomogeneous scatter media. Numerical results of polarized brightness temperature at microwave frequency and under different radiometer resolutions from inhomogeneous scatter model such as vegetation canopy and alien target beneath canopy are simulated and discussed.     

Double-pass axially resolved confocal Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry

We present experimental depth-resolved complete polarization-sensitive measurements of a stack of linear retarders and glass plates by using what is to the best of our knowledge the first combination of a confocal imaging system with a complete Mueller matrix polarimeter. The axially resolved Mueller matrices were compared with a forward simulation, with good agreement.     

高功率法拉第隔离器多模退偏特性

理论分析了隔离器在高功率多模激光入射时的自退偏特性.结果表明：线性双折射致退偏与圆双折射致退偏均与入射光功率的平方成正比,线性双折射致退偏与光斑大小无关,而圆双折射致退偏随光斑半径的增大而减小.当光斑半径与旋转晶体半径相比很小时（R0/r0≥80）圆双折射引起的退偏大于线性双折射引起的退偏,当光斑半径接近旋转晶体半径（R0/r0≤3）时,与线性双折射引起的退偏相比,圆双折射引起的退偏可以忽略.对比单模激光入射,在同种条件下,多模入射使得线性双折射致退偏减小了0.4倍, 最小圆双折射致退偏减小为0.05倍.