Time-resolved backscattering of circularly and linearly polarized light in a turbid medium

Time-resolved backscattering profiles of circularly and linearly polarized light were measured from a turbid medium composed of small and large polystyrene sphere particles in water. It is shown that, based on the measurements of the time-resolved backscattered copolarized and cross-polarized components of the incident polarized light, either linearly or circularly polarized light can be used to effectively image an object that is deep inside a turbid medium composed of small particles, depending on the depolarization properties of the object itself. For large particles such as in tissue, fog, and clouds, the experimentally observed polarization memory effect on the backscattering temporal profiles suggests that a significant improvement in the image contrast can be achieved by use of circularly polarized light.     

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.     

Dependence of the circular polarization of backscattered light in random media on anisotropy of scatterers

The scattering of linearly or circularly polarized light from a semi-infinite randomly inhomogeneous medium is considered. Using the Monte Carlo method, it is shown that, in the case of a wide front of incident and scattered optical radiation and irrespective of the degree of scattering anisotropy, the copolarized component of backscattered light dominates the cross-polarized component for the linear polarization and the cross-polarized component dominates the copolarized component for the circular polarization. If the beams of incident and scattered radiation are spatially separated and the size of scatterers exceeds the wavelength, the circular copolarized component dominates the cross-polarized one. A similar effect of the change in direction of the rotation of the plane of polarization in relation to the size of scatterers is revealed for pulsed radiation.     

Simple parametric representations of the polarization optical properties of birefringent biological tissues in reflection polarization spectroscopy

The use of polarization reflection spectroscopy for investigating complex scattering media, including orientationally ordered optically anisotropic elements, requires a special choice of output parameters (represented by spectra) that characterize polarized light scattering by objects under study because the standard characteristics, such as the Mueller matrices, depend on the azimuthal orientation of the medium. We propose compact and convenient sets of experimentally determined output parameters that involve separate detection of co- and cross-polarized components of light scattered by a sample irradiated by a normally incident linearly polarized beam and include characteristics invariant with respect to the azimuthal rotation of the sample.     

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.     

Exact solution for coherent backscattering of polarized light from a random medium of Rayleigh scatterers

We discuss a rigorous vectorial theory as a model to represent the enhanced backscattering of polarized light from a random medium. The theory is based on the well known relation between the contributions of the ladder and cyclical diagrams to the intensity which allows to express these contributions in terms of radiative transfer theory. The tensor transfer equation for the electromagnetic field in a half-space occupied by point-like scatterers is explicitly solved with the aid of the Wiener-Hopf method. For the case of normal incidence the angular distribution of the backscattered intensity and the enhancement factor are found for arbitrary angles between the incident and detected linear polarizations and the scanning plane. To describe spatial anisotropy of the backscattering cone the half width at half maximum of the intensity is calculated as a function of these angles. Coherent backscattering of circularly polarized light is also considered.     

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.     

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...     

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.     

光在Metasurface中的自旋-轨道相互作用

探讨了光在Metasurface中的自旋-轨道相互作用, 理论分析了Metasurface 对圆偏振和线偏振光的转换. 结果表明: 光与具有空间非均匀性和各向异性性的Metasurface的相互作用导致了自旋-轨道角动量的耦合. 采用Metasurface与螺旋相位片组合在一起进行了验证实验, 所得实验结果与理论分析完全一致. 这些结论有助于我们更加深入理解Metasurface 对光的操控.     

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.     

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.     

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。     

Extreme-ultraviolet harmonic generation near 13 nm with a two-color elliptically polarized laser field

Theoretical results for high-harmonic generation by a two-color elliptically polarized laser field are presented. Special emphasis is placed on coherent radiation near 13 nm in connection with the development of extreme-ultraviolet lithography. Linearly polarized radiation at this wavelength can be obtained with a linearly polarized bichromatic laser field, whereas circularly polarized radiation can be generated with a bichromatic circularly polarized field with counterrotating coplanar components. In both cases the harmonic emission efficiencies at the saturation intensity are more than 1 order of magnitude larger than for harmonic generation with a monochromatic linearly polarized field.     

Approximate solution for describing polarization characteristics of radiation in a Rayleigh scattering medium

An approximate analytical solution for the 4 × 4 Green’s matrix of the problem of polarized radiation transfer in a plane-parallel layer of an absorptive Rayleigh scattering medium is proposed. It permits one to perform fast estimates of angular distributions of the Stokes parameters that are created by an incident beam with an arbitrary polarization state at different levels in a layer when the layer thickness, absorption magnitude, and albedo of the underlying surface are varied. The developed solution is compared with data obtained by the numerical doubling method. The value of the scattering coefficient for a circularly polarized radiation is shown to be somewhat smaller than that for linearly polarized radiation.     

Polarization Properties of the Enhanced Backscattering of Light from the Fractal Aggregate of Particles

The polarized intensity enhancement of the light backscattered multiply from a fractal aggregate of particles is numerically investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. It is confirmed only for the co-polarized intensity component that an effective mean free pathlength l_D defined for a fractal medium has the same physical meaning as a mean free pathlength l for a homogeneously random medium. Furthermore, co- and crosspolarized components of the backscattering intensity enhancement decrease in accordance with θ^2.16-1.03D and θ^4-1.8D in the far-field plane and with ζ^0.93D-3.94 and ζ^1.07D-3.98 in the boundary plane between the scattering medium and the air. Therefore, the two-dimensional Fourier transform relation is satisfied only between the co-polarized intensity distributions in the far-field and the boundary planes but not the cross-polarized ones with the accuracy of the numerical simulation. Finally, we notice the applicability of the enhanced backscattering light to estimating the dimension of the absorbent fractal medium on the basis of the result that the slope of the intensity decay of the intensity peak is directly proportional to the dimension of the medium but is independent of the absorption.     

In vitro birefringence imaging with spectral domain polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Spectral domain polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography （SDPS-OCT） is a depth-resolved polarization-sensitive interferometry which integrates polarization optics into spectral domain optical co- herence tomography （SD-OCT）. This configuration can obtain birefringence information of samples and improve the imaging speed. In this paper, horizontally polarized light is used to replace natural light of the source. Then, right-rotated circularly polarized light is the incident sample light. To obtain two orthogonal components of the polarized interferogram, the reflected light of the reference arm is set to be 45° linearly polarized light. These two components are acquired by two spectrometers synchronously. The system was employed to achieve 12.8μm axial resolution and 4.36μm transverse resolution. We have imaged in vitro chicken tendon and muscle tissues with these svstem.     

Full field automated evaluation of the quarter wave plate retardation by phase stepping technique

Quarter wave plates are optical elements commonly used in photoelasticity to obtain circularly polarized light. They divide the incident light field into two linearly polarized orthogonal components with a phase difference of a quarter of the light wavelength. Due to the tolerance in manufacturing, however, the actual phase shifting produced by the plates is affected by an error, which noticeably influences the photoelastic measurements performed by means of various automated methods. This paper presents a technique, based on the phase stepping method, for the full field automatic evaluation of the quarter wave plate error.     

Polariton spin beats in semiconductor quantum well microcavities

Time-resolved Kerr (Faraday) rotation experiments allow for the observation of polariton spin beats in both InGaAs and CdMnTe quantum well (QW) microcavities. The existence of these beats is an unambiguous manifestation of the coherent energy exchange between exciton and photon components of polariton states created by a circularly polarized and spectrally wide femtosecond laser pulse. The polariton states are also shown to be split into a linearly polarized doublet. This splitting is responsible for the polarization transfer between linearly and circularly polarized states. In a highest-quality sample, the resulting spin dynamics could be detected.