Elastic light scattering with a LiNbO3 waveguide

We present the measurements of hemispherical elastic scattering of light guided by different modes of a planar LiNbO3 waveguide. It is shown that the fundamental and the lowest-order modes are more sensitive to the scattering properties of the air-core interface, whereas higher-order modes are more sensitive to the optical inhomogeneities of the core-substrate interface. We also demonstrate that because of static polarization of LiNbO3 crystal, the air-core interface is sensitive to the presence of dust particles in air, which causes a change in the scattered light based on time of observation. This sensitivity could be used to elaborate compact sensors of air contamination.     

Elastic laser light scattering by GaAs surfaces

Angle-resolved scattering (ARS) intensities were measured in the backscattering hemisphere for the (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) faces of GaAs single crystals. Three epitaxial layers were deposited onto the GaAs (1 0 0) single-crystalline wafers. The laser elastic light scattering shows the presence of a regular surface microrelief whose orientation corresponds to the crystallographic axes in the surface plane. We studied the statistical properties of this microrelief and determined the parameters that characterize the surface. We propose to use the ARS ratio for two wavelengths (in our case, 632.8 and 441.6 nm) to determine the topographical properties of scattering and to study crystal surface defects.     

Path-length-resolved dynamic light scattering: modeling the transition from single to diffusive scattering

Dynamic light-scattering spectroscopy is used to study Brownian motion within highly scattering samples. The fluctuations of the light field that is backscattered by a suspension of polystyrene microspheres are measured as power spectra by use of low-coherence interferometry to obtain path-length resolution. The data are modeled as the sum of contributions to the detected light weighted by a Poisson probability for the number of events that each component has experienced. By analyzing the broadening of the power spectra as a function of the path length for various sizes of particles, we determine the contribution of multiple scattering to the detected signal as a function of scattering anisotropy.     

Role of multiple scattering in cross-correlated light scattering with a single laser beam

Previous systems for measuring cross-correlated light scattering by small particles suspended in a liquid with multiple-scattering suppression have illuminated the particles with two laser beams. It is shown that multiple-scattering suppression should also occur in cross correlation for a system that employs a single laser beam and two closely spaced detectors with wide fields of view. The single-scattering, double-scattering, and single-double-scattering cross-term contributions to the intensity cross-correlation function are calculated. It is found that the two cross terms, when added together, are unimportant for both autocorrelation and cross correlation. The amplitude of the double-scattering term can be greatly diminished by judicious detector spacing because the spatial coherence area in the detector plane for double scattering is much smaller than that for single scattering.     

Inelastic scattering on spherical microparticles with inclusions

The subject of the paper is scattering at spherical microparticles with inclusions. The inclusions are represented as dipoles for both elastic and inelastic scattering. For elastic scattering the dipoles are computed iteratively, and sequence transformations are used to accelerate this iteration. Mie theory is used to calculate the cross sections for scattering on spherical microparticles with inclusions as well as on agglomerates.     

Estimation of optical constants from multiple-scattered light using approximations for single particle scattering characteristics

The inversion of multiple-scattered light measurements to extract the optical constant (complex refractive index) is computationally intensive. A significant portion of this time is due to the effort required for computing the single particle characteristics (absorption and scattering cross sections, anisotropy factor, and the phase function). We investigate approximations for computing these characteristics so as to significantly speed up the calculations without introducing large inaccuracies. Two suspensions of spherical particles viz., polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) were used for this investigation. It was found that using the exact Mie theory to compute the absorption and scattering cross sections and the anisotropy factor with the phase function computed using the Henyey-Greenstein approximation yielded the best results. Analysis suggests that errors in the phase functions and thus in the estimated optical constants depend mainly on how closely the approximations match the Mie phase function at small scattering angles.     

Near-field microscopy by elastic light scattering from a tip

We describe ultraresolution microscopy far beyond the classical Abbe diffraction limit of one half wavelength (lambda/2), and also beyond the practical limit (ca. lambda/10) of aperture-based scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). The 'apertureless' SNOM discussed here uses light scattering from a sharp tip (hence scattering-type or s-SNOM) and has no lambda-related resolution limit. Rather, its resolution is approximately equal to the radius a of the probing tip (for commercial tips, a < 20 nm) so that 10 nm is obtained in the visible (lambda/60). A resolution of lambda/500 has been obtained in the mid-infrared at lambda = 10 microm. The advantage of infrared, terahertz and even microwave illumination is that specific excitations can be exploited to yield specific contrast, e.g. the molecular vibration offering a spectroscopic fingerprint to identify chemical composition. S-SNOM can routinely acquire simultaneous amplitude and phase images to obtain information on refractive and absorptive properties. Plasmon- or phonon-resonant materials can be highlighted by their particularly high near-field signal level. Furthermore, s-SNOM can map the characteristic optical eigenfields of small, optically resonant particles. Lastly, we describe theoretical modelling that explains and predicts s-SNOM contrast on the basis of the local dielectric function.     

Analysis of light scattering from a cutting tool edge

The scattering of light from cutting tools is studied. The contribution of cutting tool edge parameters (height and width) to scattering patterns and the influence of side surface roughness on scattering patterns are investigated. An angle-limited integrated scattering method is developed and analyzed for fast determination of edge parameters.     

Simulation of light scattering from a particle upon a wafer surface

We simulated light scattering from a particle located on a smooth surface. We developed a new approach utilizing the discrete sources method based on a strict mathematical model for this scattering problem. The main features of the corresponding numerical algorithm are presented. The results of modeling and comparisons with other theoretical results and experimental data are shown as well.     

Local-field resonance in light scattering by a single water droplet with spherical dielectric inclusions

Light scattering by an evaporating water droplet several micrometers in size with spherical dielectric inclusions was investigated. The evolution of the droplet radius and the effective refractive index was determined. A deviation from predictions by standard effective-medium theories in the form of a resonance was encountered. Simple analysis of the phenomenon was conducted, and a qualitative explanation was proposed.     

Polarization-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering from a silver-nanoparticle-decorated single silver nanowire

Single silver nanowires produced by DC electrodeposition in porous anodic alumina templates were surface-functionalized with the bifunctional molecule 4-aminobenzenthiol (ABT) then exposed to aqueous silver nanoparticles resulting in a silver nanoparticle-decorated silver nanowire. The polarization dependent surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) signal from this system showed significant intensity anisotropy when measured at a midsection of the nanowire, where the largest SERS intensities were observed when the incident light was polarized perpendicular to the nanowire's long axis but was almost isotropic near the tip of the nanowire. The observed effects were accounted for in terms of the electromagnetic fields concentrated in the collection of hot spots created through the ABT-linker-driven nanoparticle-nanowire self-assembly process.     

Dual gratings interspersed on a single butterfly scale

Iridescent butterfly wing colours result from the interaction of light with sub-micrometre structures in the scales. Typically, one scale contains one such photonic structure that produces a single iridescent signal. Here, however, we show how the dorsal wings of male Lamprolenis nitida emit two independent signals from two separate photonic structures in the same scale. Multiple independent signals from separate photonic structures within the same sub-micrometre device are currently unknown in animals. However, they would serve to increase the complexity and specificity of the optical signature, enhancing the information conveyed. This could be important during intrasexual encounters, in which iridescent male wing colours are employed as threat displays. Blazed diffraction gratings, like those found in L. nitida, are asymmetric photonic structures and drive most of the incident light into one diffraction order. Similar gratings are used in spectrometers, limiting the spectral range over which the spectrometer functions. By incorporating two interchangeable gratings onto a single structure, as they are in L. nitida, the functional range of spectrometers could be extended.     

Ellipsometry of light scattering from multilayer coatings

A scatterometer is extended and allows us to perform ellipsometric measurements on scattered light in each direction of space. Experimental data are given for single thin-film layers and optical coatings and reveal unexpected results. The phenomena are investigated by means of the electromagnetic theories of surface and bulk scattering that emphasize the role of partial correlation and localized defects.     

NIR femtosecond laser induced hyper-Rayleigh scattering and luminescence from silver nanoprisms

The nonlinear response of silver nanoprisms (edge length 40 +/- 5 nm and thickness 4.5 +/- 0.5 nm) was studied by exciting with NIR femtosecond pulses (780-880 nm). These nanostructures were observed to generate hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) and broadband luminescence. While HRS showed the expected second order power dependence, the luminescence was observed to follow a third order excitation power dependence. Both HRS and luminescence were observed to be dipolar in nature. The first hyperpolarizability of the nanoprisms was found to be an order of magnitude higher than approximately 15 nm sized nanospheres.     

Modeling light scattering from Diesel soot particles

The Mie model is widely used to analyze light scattering from particulate aerosols. The Diesel particle scatterometer, for example, determines the size and optical properties of Diesel exhaust particles that are characterized by the measurement of three angle-dependent elements of the Mueller scattering matrix. These elements are then fitted by Mie calculations with a Levenburg-Marquardt optimization program. This approach has achieved good fits for most experimental data. However, in many cases, the predicted complex index of refraction was smaller than that for solid carbon. To understand this result and explain the experimental data, we present an assessment of the Mie model by use of a light-scattering model based on the coupled-dipole approximation. The results indicate that the Mie calculation can be used to determine the largest dimension of irregularly shaped particles at sizes characteristic of Diesel soot and, for particles of known refractive index, tables can be constructed to determine the average porosity of the particles from the predicted index of refraction.     

Large-angle in-plane light scattering from rough surfaces

An in-plane light scattering setup that is capable of measuring large azimuthal scattering angles is presented. This type of measurement makes it easier to probe large k(parallel) at a fixed k(perpendicular) value (k(parallel) and k(perpendicular) are momentum transfer vectors parallel and perpendicular to the surface, respectively). Therefore the system allows us to explore small lateral scale and large vertical roughness (approximately lambda, the wavelength of the probe beam) of a rough surface. In-plane intensity measurements from a rough backside Si wafer and a Cu thin-film surface are reported. The structure factor that is related to surface roughness parameters is obtained from the measured in-plane intensity profiles. Both scalar (Beckmann-Kirchhoff) and vector (Rayleigh-Rice) theories have been applied to interpret the experimental data. The roughness parameters obtained from the scattering measurements are compared with those measured by atomic-force microscopy.